Protests in Catalunya: What is all the fuss about?
If you’ve been watching the Spanish news recently, I’m sure that the demonstration in Barcelona in Catalunya will have caught your attention, so I’m very grateful to Lisa, (aka Mum from Family Life In Spain), for asking me to provide a quick overview of the situation in Catalunya. She sent me a few questions and I think the easiest way to approach the issue of Catalan Independence and the whys and wherefores of the demonstration is to go through them one by one.
Why are the Catalans so keen to obtain independence?
It’s a simple question of identity, really. Catalans have their own language, culture and history. The language is based on vulgar Latin and is actually a lot older than Spanish which is based on high Latin. A quick example is the verb To Eat – manducare in Vulgar Latin, menjar in Catalan, manger in French and mangiare in Italian whereas comedere in High Latin gives us comer in Spanish.
There are many more examples but I know from experience that when I speak Catalan I think differently from when I speak Spanish.
Culturally, the Catalans are more staid and less passionate than the Spanish. The Sardana – the National dance – is very methodical in comparison with flamenco. Bullfighting is seen as individualistic and cruel and is illegal here. Most Catalan activities are based on groups. For example, castells – the human castles – are a group effort that require cooperation. Both language and culture are the result of a different history.
The Moors only controlled Catalunya for 80 years and never really made it into the Pyrenees whereas the Spanish Reconquista took 700 years. Consequently, there’s very little Arabic influence on the language and racially, the Catalans see themselves as the South of Northern Europe. They also had a massive empire in medieval times and had it not been for the discovery of America, which brought incredible wealth to Castile, the balance of power on the Iberian peninsular could well have remained much more equal.
You add all this together and the Catalans quite understandably feel different and would like to have their own state.
Have any particular events in Spanish history ignited this?
The crucial moment in Catalunya’s relationship with Spain came to a head with the end of the Spanish War of Succession in 1714. In 1700, Spanish King Carlos II died without an heir, and up until that point although ruled by the same monarch, Catalunya had enjoyed a great degree of freedom and was effectively a separate country. There were two pretenders to the throne – Philippe de Anjou, grandson of France’s Louis XIV, and the Habsburg Archduke Charles of Austria. Castile backed the centralist Bourbon pretender and looked forward to a Franco-Spanish axis that would come to control Europe, whereas Catalunya backed the Habsburg, who promised to respect their relative independence, and England and Holland frightened of French hegemony formed an alliance with the Catalans and Austrians. Unfortunately, for the Catalans, Charles became King of Austria and decided he wasn’t too bothered about being King of Spain and Philippe, by then Felipe, bought the English off with Gibraltar and Menorca, so the Catalans were left to fight alone from 1712 to 1714, when after a long siege Barcelona fell on September 11.
Not surprisingly, after 13 years of war, Felipe V wasn’t too pleased with the Catalans, and revoked all their laws, closed all the universities and made speaking Catalan illegal. Catalunya wasn’t allowed to trade with the Americas and all goods exported from Catalunya to Castile had to pay duties whereas Castilian goods imported to Catalunya were duty free.
Barcelona entered a period of severe economic decline, and also had to pay for the upkeep of 50,000 Castilian troops that were billeted in the Citadel (now Parc de la Ciutadella). By the beginning of the 20th century, Catalunya had resuscitated economically but in 1923, the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera staged a successful military coup in Spain, and amongst other things, banned the Catalan language again and increased the taxes.
In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began and once again Catalunya backed the democrats and held out almost to the end. The victor of the Civil War, good old General Francisco Franco hated two things – Catalans and reds – and Barcelona was full of both of them, so without much ado, it was firing squad time again and prison if you were caught speaking Catalan in the street.
This is very recent history, and people of the older generation, my ex-wife’s parents for example, speak Catalan at home but as soon as they are out in the street switch to Spanish. Franco died in 1975 but even now there’s no way you can get her father to speak Catalan in public. Similarly, many people of my generation, who left school before Catalan was reintroduced in 1980, resent the fact that they never learned to read and write in their mother tongue.
What are the main differences in the beliefs of Catalans and Castilians?
People are people and Catalunya is a modern cosmopolitan region. Traditionally, Catalans were blonder and taller than Castilians but Franco shipped in a couple of million Andalusians and there are Moroccans, South Americans, Chinese, Pakistanis and grizzly old Nottinghamians like me, so we’re pretty much the same as anyone else, I think.
What’s important, though, are the cultural and linguistic factors I mentioned above. The children of the Spanish immigrants who arrived in the 50s and 60s have grown up speaking Catalan, dancing Sardanas and supporting FC Barcelona, so they feel different.
Another important point is that although many people want independence, given their Spanish ancestry, lots of Catalans love Spanish culture and are very happy to be bilingual. There’s a fantastic flamenco scene, and typical Andalusian festivals, such as the Feria de Abril are celebrated with mucho gusto.
What’s sparked the current upsurge of pro-independence feeling has been the ridiculous behaviour of the Partido Popular – there’s been a barrage of anti-Catalan insults from Esperanza Aguirre and company, and more importantly, the government reneged on the tax agreement we have and refused to return taxes we’d paid to central government, so we’ve now got a deficit and have to ask for help. When Catalans see Partido Popular politicians being processed for corruption in Valencia and see Bankia go down the drain due to incompetent management, we don’t feel too happy about trusting our money to a bunch of crooks.
What are the Catalans most proud of?
The Catalan word ‘seny’, which means something between common sense and fair play, pretty much sums up the Catalan way of doing things. We like being moderate and measured, and I think the demonstration on Tuesday was a fantastic example. It wasn’t reall anti anything, it was pro-Catalan and took place in a happy friendly atmosphere. We’re proud and pleased when we do things well.
Obviously, we’re incredibly proud of the language, and some of our brilliant writers – Jacint Verdaguer, Josep pla, Mercè Rodoreda,even Terenci Moix. Painters – Picasso cut his teeth here, Salvador Dalí, Tàpies and host more. Gaudí and the Modernistas – what can I say!
The Romanesque churches in the Pyrenees. El Barça! The beaches. The food. The Gay scene …
There’s so much we can be proud of that, without doing anyone else down, we feel we should have the right to do this under our own name not as a maligned region of Spain, a country which always seems to take anything good we do, the Spanish national football team, for example, as its own but criticise anything that’s not quite up to scratch.
We’re also very proud of our flag, by the way. It’s called La Senyera and the four red lines are the Four Fingers of Blood that our first king Wilfred the Hairy scraped on a golden shield before going into battle against the Moors and securing Catalunya as an independent state in the 9th century.
If Catalunya was granted total independence, how would it impact the life of an expat living there?
Difficult question and it all depends on how Europe and Spain react. If we gain independence, we’ll have to leave the European Union and apply for re-entry. The current rule is that new states are only accepted as long as there is unanimous agreement from the current states, so if Spain gets shirty about this, we could be in for a very difficult ride.
Any problems for ex-pats will come about as a result of non-EU membership rather than any express desire of the Catalan government, who will be extremely keen to make life as easy as possible for foreign nationals and so establish itself in international terms.
But the truth is we don’t know what’s going to happen yet. If Mariano Rajoy is minimally intelligent, he’ll give the Catalans the tax deal they are asking for and that might close the flood gates for a while. However, intelligence and diplomacy aren’t typical Partido Popular qualities, so I reckon that Catalan politicians are already working behind the scenes on the European question.
I’ll stick my neck out here and say that if independence comes there’ll be an unsettled period but then Catalunya without the tax drain will become significantly more prosperous. If I had money to invest, I’d be keeping a very close eye on the property market in Catalunya now.
About the author:
Simon Harris has lived in Barcelona in Catalunya since 1988 and is author of Going Native in Catalonia. He has recently started www.barcelona-travel-guide.info. The site’s only been going since late August but there’s a blog at bcnblog.barcelona-travel-guide.info and a forum at forum.barcelona-travel-guide.info, and he is very happy to answer your questions about Barcelona-related travel or simply argue the toss in English, Spanish and, of course, Catalan. You can connect with Simon on Facebook – Barcelona Travel Guide at or on Twitter through @simonharris.
If you would like to learn more about this wonderful part of Spain, please also have a look at Going Native in Catalunya.
Some other posts you should read:
Comments
Comments (11)
Hey Simon. Thanks for your reply and honest and refreshing view point on this. I can understand why you have such a close affinity for the Catalan people. Most are as good of a person as you will meet and I, personally, prefer the sound of the language over northern Castilian. The only thing stopping me from getting a tattoo of the cagarner on my shoulder is my wife controlling the purse strings;-)
I guess my main issue with this whole debate is the divisive nature and it being driven by a small, but vocal minority. (Not majority as I wrote in my original comment. I get a bit dyslexic with vocabulary when I’m tired). A referendum for independence isn’t, and hasn’t been, the top issue for most people, whether they be Catalans or Spaniards, and it seems to be used a political wedge, much like religion and patriotism in the US. I don’t think independence, or even a new fiscal pact, will be the panacea for Catalunya until there’s a new political class and I think its, and Spain’s, problems need to be tackled with unity right now.
Then there’s the whole issue about being the next European state when, as you mention, isn’t guaranteed, especially when maps calling for a referendum include Valencia, Balearic Islands and Northern France. There’s also the question of what would be the impact on Catalunya’s access to the financial markets during this period, of let’s face it, years to decades of uncertainty. Plus, until the bailout is paid back, Holland is unlikely to support Catalunya as a new member. We’re not very happy here with the cuts to our treasured services to payoff your debts and subsidize your 15 fiestas when we get half as many, not to mention no puentes;-) But being pragmatic and full of seny, we didn’t shun Europe, despite emotional appeals from both sides of the political spectrum, because it’s our main market. See the parallel?
I guess my dream would be to see all of this energy, emotion and human capital redirected to push for a more realistic republic rather than a distant dream of independence. One of the sad ironies is that before the civil war Andalucia and Catalunya were the two hot beds of republican and anarchists movements, now they are at each other’s throats because politicians on both sides whip up nationalist feelings to cover up their misdeeds. Despite not having any political apparatus or media coverage, polls show 25% of both (in fact most) regions support becoming a republic which a good base to work off. Imagine if there was a concerted effort and outreach between the republicans of the Spain. Issues such as fiscal transfers, central authority and yes, even secession, could be addressed. Everyone can stop blaming Madrid for their problems and take responsibility for their own region without saying, “I want to be like Pais Vasco.” I think almost all republics had at least one constitution prior to the current one so there is precedent. Juan Carlos can either be the king who watches over the dissolution of his kingdom or the man who steps aside for his nation’s preservation.
I also think in order to foster a sense of us versus them the current Catalan educational system doesn’t provide the necessary nuance to the complex relationship between the region and Spain. It was one of the main reasons my wife and I decided to leave and have our daughter educated in Holland. I’m glad you mentioned Picasso. Born in Malaga, cut his artistic teeth in Barcelona, the elegant gateway to Europe, which was how most Spaniards saw the city, with a sense of admiration, not hate, until all of this nationalist nonsense.
I also suggest taking a trip to California. There was a nativist backlash against the emerging Hispanic majority in the 1990s, making English the official language. Now some public schools offer bilingual educations in not only English and Spanish, but Mandarin, Korean, Navajo and even French. Children learning in their mother tongue has seen an improvement in their test scores and introducing them to a second language early broadens their minds in this pluralistic world. Cultures don’t have to clash. They can intermingle and, like a mutt, be stronger and healthier than a pure breed.
Anyway, I’ll conclude this long monologue with a plug, with Lisa’s permission. My book, From Barcelona: Stories Behind The City, Second Edition, has recently been released. It’s what I call “city-lit” with twelve short stories inspired by Barcelona, its people and legends.
As is often the case Jeremy, if you believe in a particular political position, you tend to focus on its positive aspects. In the article above, Lisa asked me a set of relatively straightforward questions that allowed me to put forward the Catalan Independence case and I just answered them as simply as possible. I’m obviously aware that no society is perfect, and some of the points you raise are very valid.
Correbous are run in the province of Tarragona in the south and not throughout the whole of Catalunya. This summer there’s been a debate about banning them here.
The language issue is an important one and really is the defining factor on Catalan identity, and that’s the reason why it’s been made illegal so often. Although Spanish immigrants came in search of work, the regime hoped that 2 million or so of them would dilute the influence of the Catalan language. Any mass immigration that involves the clash of two cultures and languages is bound to upset the status quo. This is what happened in the 50s and 60s in Barcelona and its industrial belt. A generation later, though, many of the children of these Spanish immigrants feel Catalan – partly because they’ve been through the Catalan education system. As this generation comes of age, I predict that their identification with the place they were born in will increase as will the calls for independence.
On the issue of dodgy politicians, you’re totally right, there are some real scumbags amongst the CiU ranks … but that politics, isn’t it?
Speaking personally, I am emotionally in favour of Catalan Independence but we certainly don’t want a divided society with two groups at each others’ throats.
For this reason, a referendum is necassary in order to calculate the strength of feeling. If there’s a CLEAR majority in favour then the first steps will be taken on the rocky road ahead. If the demonstration was just a silly show of sentamentalism. then it’ll be business as usual.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the Catalan tradition of correbus (similar to the running of the bulls) or the toro embolado where they set the bull’s horns on fire. Both have been condemned by animal rights groups as cruel but were exempt from the recent ban on bull fighting and are popular in villages in rural Catalunya.
Millions of Spaniards bussed in by Franco. Not sure about that. Most people I met in Barcelona of Spanish ancestry, including ardent Catalan nationalists, tell me that their parents came because they had no food in their stomachs and in search of a better life. The same reasons that drive immigration today. Most ended up working in low wage construction and service jobs (cleaning houses, care taking of the elderly, etc), as many immigrants do today. FYI, the 2011 Universitat Autonoma study shows only 32% of the population feel little to no affinity toward Spain while 67.5% feel somewhat or a strong connection. 68% have at least one Spanish parent. In other words most people there don’t feel different, a small majority does.
I agree it was a real travesty for Franco to deny Catalan speakers the ability to receive an education in their mother tongue. Why is it ok now to deny the 55% who use Spanish to speak to their parents the ability to receive an education in the language of their mothers or fathers? Please don’t tell me it’s to protect an endangered Catalan language. I think it’s molt fort, able to survive on its own. It’s managed to flourish despite all the centuries of repression, right? Besides, if you want to become the next member of the EU, better start complying with the Copenhagen Treaty which guarantees schooling in all languages of a region.
Not sure if you’ve seen the recent BBC documentary about the 300,000 mothers in Andalucia were told their babies had died when in reality they had been stolen and sold during the post civil war years. Many people, from many regions, suffered during his dictatorship, just as some Catalan landowners and industrialists sided with him to counter the communists and anarchists they feared. I personally would have liked to have seen a truth and reconciliation commission during the transition to address the atrocities both during and after the civil war. I’m afraid too much time has passed for that.
Funny you mention corruption, without commenting on ongoing La Palau case, “Pretoria” and Oriol Pujol (all connected to the ruling CiU party), and how the volume for the 11th of Sept march was turned up as public outrage grew. A cynic might see it as political opportunism to distract from the systematic corruption and draconian cuts to education and health while the president of the generalitat and the mayor of Barcelona earn salaries higher than even the king of Spain. Not to mention the indignados who tended to put economic interests above nationalistic fervor. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.
Ken, re Yugoslavia. Your point is?
In these hard times where we should stand together to beat Asia and to make EU work, the independence talk seems out of place.
Look what the independence talk did to Yoguslavia….
The main problem about independence is that once you leave you discover that your ruling party is just the PP with a different name.
It definitely is a complex issue, but one thing we have completely clear is the economics – the tax deficit is around 16 million euro (8% of our PIB). In 2009, for example, Spain took 61, 812 million euro in taxes and reinvested 45,403 million euro in Catalunya.
This is a long-standing complaint and exacerbated when we look at the PP gov’t … from where we are, they look like a bunch of incompetent clowns, who are not only useless but are quite happy embezzling voters’ money. Bankia (formerly Caja Madrid amongst others) is run by PP caciques.
The feeling here is a bit like after 1898. We’re just tired of being part of the pantomime!
The point you make about Carod Rovira and sales of Catalan goods is a rather right-wing one, if I may say so, Paddy. Catalunya and the rest of Spain are intimately interconnected financially, politically and culturally. The threat of boicotting Catalan products if it goes for auto-determination is just juvenile, and would be an example of Spain cutting off its nose to spite its face.
If the independence movement gets its way. BOTH SIDES will have to be mature enough to make the transition as smooth as possible.
OK. The important question is IF! and the only way to decide that is to hold a referendum in Catalunya as soon as possible. If there is a CLEAR majority in favour of independence then as a supposedly mature democracy, Spain ought to be able to accept that … and that might even include keeping Barça in La Liga. Money is money and Real Madrid would lose as much revenue as Barça if there were no Clásicos!
Haven’t been to Catalonia since watching Chelsea narrowly lose 2-1 in the Champions League to Barça (hey, we can’t always beat them). This article makes me want to return to experience what looks like being a fascinating period in the region’s history.
A fascinating insight thank you! I remember feeling that I was not quite “in Spain” when I lived there, but it remains one of my favourite places in Europe & I very much look forward to going back
Complex issue.If the Catalans want their independence then eventually they will probably get it.But personally I think they would do better fighting from within Spain. Their problems are very similar to Spain.Whilst emotions are easily whipped up into nationalist sentiments in times of crisis,they do not necessarily make good economics.It is estimated that up to 70% of Catalonia’s production is sold into Spain.After Carod Rovira’s farce some years ago Catalan Cava sales went down two years in a row. I believe Catalonia would do better to negotiate better terms with the Spanish govt.Much better for Catalonia and for Spain. And La Liga without Barca would be awful!
I forgot to mention that we worked in L’Estartit before we had our children and absoloutely loved Girona and the surrounding area. When we decided to leave the Canary Islands to return to the Spanish mainland, as we decided that the islands did not offer our children everything that we wanted for them, we considered moving back to the Girona area. However there were two major factors that made us chose the Malaga province instead …. 1. The weather. 2. The language … we did not want our children to have to learn a language that we did not (at that time) deem to be of any advantage to them.