UPDATED: More Euro-Separatism: the Catalan referendum
When Jim Dunnigan and I covered the Catalan autonomy movement in the first edition of A Quick and Dirty Guide to War (1985) a number of readers had no idea what we meant by Catalonian separatism in Spain. A few Americans had heard of the Basques– they use bombs.
This weekend Catalans ratified a proposal which gives their region in Spain (northeast, Barcelona area) even more autonomy. The Catalans will have increased say in taxation and immigration policy (relating to work permits). A number of critics within Spain said the referendum (increased regional autonomy) is a threat to Spanish unity. In some ways they are right. A CBC report notes the possibility of a Spanish break-up.
This short post on Montenegro’s decision to separate from Serbia and this column (from May 2006) provide background on the latest bout of Euro-separatism.
Key excerpt:
Some demands for autonomy will surprise Americans used to looking at the maps of France and Spain and thinking, “Oh, yes, homes of the French and Spanish.” France struggles with a weak but occasionally violent independence movement in Corsica. Spain continues to struggle with Basque nationalists, but an even bigger challenge may be the Catalans, with their would-be national capital in Barcelona. Unlike the Basques, the Catalans have controlled their terrorists and struck a working economic and cultural bargain with Spain. But no astute Spanish politician should take Catalonian stability for granted.
Last year, the people of Holland and France rejected the proposed EU constitution. The Dutch and French “no’s” suggested even the most solid of Western European citizens have issues with a pan-European government. Few object, however, to the original notion of a “Common Market” (the European Economic Community).
A common market (if not a common currency), open communication and common security — these are the “greater identities” shaping Europe, through the EU and NATO.
The Catalans argue they “over contribute” taxes to the central government. The Catalan region is one of Spain’s wealthier areas.
UPDATE: From Barcepundit (in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain).
