Between autonomy and secession: the accommodation of Catalonia within the new democratic Spain

Article abstract:

The aim of this paper is to analyse the different phases in the accommodation of Catalonia within Spain since the start of the democratisation process in 1976.

The paper is divided into two parts. First it offers a theoretical introduction in which the terms nation, state, nation-state and nationalism are defined. It then introduces the concept of nations without states and considers the grounds for their current re-emergence.

The second part analyses the opposing conceptions of the state and the nation in the Spanish civil war (1936-1939). It also studies the national question and the creation of the Autonomous Communities System in the new democratic Spain. The paper moves on to examine the role and principles of the non-secessionist Catalan nationalism exemplified by the CiU, in government since 1980.

To conclude, the paper investigates the novel political scenario generated by the combination of renewed Catalan demands for greater autonomy, the consolidation of a new democratic Spanish identity, and the rise of a conservative Spanish nationalism fostered by the Popular Party.