Catalan identity & independence
No matter how little you know about Catalan politics, you will instantly be aware that this region is not “Spain” as you know it. The striped Catalan flag flies proud across every skyline, the strangely accented letters bear no resemblance to Castilian Spanish, and locals speak about what happens “in Spain” as if it were across a distant national border.
Catalonia has been an autonomous region since 1978, but the proud promotion of its language, cuisine and traditions are a fierce response to their prohibition during the 39-year Franco dictatorship. All public sector workers, including teachers and doctors, are legally required to use Catalan alongside Spanish, and residents are keen to enlighten visitors on their desire for full independence, which has only increased since Spain’s financial crisis kicked in. As the wealthiest region in Spain, the economic arguments are as strong as the cultural ones. The animosity towards the rest of Spain can seem aggressive at times, and visitors should be sensitive when getting involved in conversations about politics – which they inevitably will. Two generations of Catalans were denied their identity, and the frustration is still raw.
On 1 October 2017, Catalonia attempted to hold an independence referendum which was not recognised by Spain’s Constitutional Court, and declared illegal. The Catalan parliament approved the referendum, and violent clashes ensued as police forces blocked and shut down polling stations, rubber bullets were fired, voters were hit with batons and fire fighters stood between protesters and riot police as human shields. Over 840 people, including voters, protesters and law enforcers, were injured.
The result was 92 percent in favour of independence, but there was just a 43 percent turnout. In the ensuing weeks, the Catalan government has insisted that it intends to act on the result of the referendum, but there have also been anti-independence rallies said to have drawn anywhere from 350,000 to over 900,000 people. In a story that will be familiar across the UK, families and communities have been divided by the referendum, people on both sides of the debate are shaken by the events, and Spain’s richest region now faces political and economic uncertainty as top banks relocate and companies are reported to be considering following suit. Visitors here would do well to educate themselves – and travel sensitively.