The Catalan question
king of Spain brought back many freedoms and, with that, the flame of Catalan nationalism would be lit again. This culminated in a massive independence crisis in 2015 when pro-independence parties outlined an 18-month plan for independence. In October 2017, a referendum was held, orchestrated by the president of the autonomous community at the time, Carles Puigdemont. It was a success, with a 90% majority calling for independence; 7 unfortunately for them, the Spanish government declared the referendum illegal. Puigdemont and members of his cabinet fled to Belgium; those from the other parties who remained were arrested. In 2025, independence parties recognize this wasn’t the right move, and the political urgency for independence has decreased in recent years. Having delved into the history of independence, it is important to explore why Catalonia seeks independence in the 21 st century, and what the separatists’ demands are, so as to understand why a mutually beneficial resolution has so many difficulties. As has already been noted, Catalan people are very tied to their identity and culture: 80% of the population speak Catalan as their first language 8 and, as seen in the referendum, many view themselves as Catalan rather than Spanish. For them, being a part of Spain has harmed and continues to harm their culture and identity. For centuries now, the Catalan region has also contributed more to the Spanish economy than it receives; this is a core driver in self-determination arguments. Catalonia houses 16 per cent of the Spanish population, yet accounts for 18 per cent of its GDP. 9 GDP per capita is also 20% higher than the Spanish average, and, compared to the EU average, its purchasing power parity and GDP per capita are higher. Catalonia’s economy is significantly more open than the Spanish economy; Catalan exports represent 26.2 percent of Spanish exports. 10 Furthermore, it receives 25 per cent of all tourists travelling to Spain. 11 From all this comes a sense that the tax and revenue system are unfair; Catalonia lives with a fiscal deficit, meaning it pays more taxes to the Spanish government than it receives back in investments and services. Recent calculations placed this deficit at 21 billion euros. 12 Catalans thus believe they have a right to independence, drawing on the principles of Spanish democracy and the basic idea of self-determination, as outlined in the UN Charter. Catalan independence is strongly rejected by the Spanish state for many reasons. The 1978 constitution, following the death of Franco, declares that Spain is a ‘common and indivisible homeland’. It also seeks to affirm the idea that sovereignty lies with the entire country, not with individual regions. 13 This provides an extremely strong legal framework for the Spanish state to deny Catalan independence. During the 2017 7 Catalan News, ‘10 Years On: The Failed Roadmap to Catalan Independence,’ Catalan News , first published March 30, 2025; updated April 1, 2025, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.catalannews.com/politics/item/10-years- on-the-failed-roadmap-to-catalan-independence. 8 Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat), ‘Survey on Language Uses of the Population. 2023. Basic Results of Catalonia,’ News , February 19, 2025, accessed August 11, 2025, https://www.idescat.cat/novetats/?id=5138&lang=en. 9 Antoni Castells, ‘Catalonia and Spain at the Crossroads: Financial and Economic Aspects,’ Oxford Review of Economic Policy 30, no. 2 (2014): 277–96, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.jstor.org/stable/43664607 10 See note 8. 11 Ibid. 12 Catalan News, ‘Catalonia’s New Financial Model Explained,’ Catalan News , July 15, 2025, accessed August 12, 2025, https://www.catalannews.com/politics/item/catalonias-new-financial-model-explained. 13 The Economist , ‘Why the Referendum on Catalan Independence Is Illegal,’ The Economist Explains , September 26, 2017, https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2017/09/26/why-the-referendum-on-catalan- independence-is-illegal.
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