Catalan independentism

Catalan independentism is a political movement which supports the independence of Catalonia from Spain and France, this is usually extended to the so called "Catalan Countries".

The Estelada flag, in its blue and red versions, has become its main symbol.

History

Some Catalanist authors argue that first precedents of Catalan independentism may date back as far as 1640, with the unsuccessful first Catalan Republic after Reaper's War, and subsequently during the War of the Spanish Succession. However, in the modern sense, the first political parties which started defining themselves as separatists were created between the 1920s and the 1930s in Spanish Catalonia. The main separatist party created at this time was Estat Català and its branch called Bandera Negra, others independentist parties born from Estat Català were: Nosaltres Sols, the Partit Nacionalista Català and the Partit Català Proletari.

After the Spanish Civil War, members of Estat Català and Nosaltres Sols founded the Front Nacional de Catalunya which became the main pro-independence party. However, one might argue that modern Catalan independentism was actually born in the 1960s with the Partit Socialista d'Alliberament Nacional (PSAN). Since then, the pro-independence movement has assumed a mostly left-wing political trend and has often shifted its focus from "independence for Catalonia" to "independence for the 'Catalan Countries'". By the 1970s, the PSAN split into several factions, and many other groups appeared, including the armed organization Terra Lliure. In the 1980s, the Moviment de Defensa de la Terra (MDT) became the major pro-independence political group but this too became divided by the end of the decade. During the 1990s, existing political parties such as Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and the linguistic-national initiative Crida a la Solidaritat progressively evolved towards a more pro-independence stance.

Modern Independentism

Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya is currently the only organization campaigning explicitly for independence represented in the Catalan Parliament. They won a 7.86% of the total Catalan votes in the last 2008 general elections.

Other present-day independentist parties or coalitions, without present representation in any parliament, are Estat Català, Endavant, the PSAN, the MDT and the CUP. There are also youth sections such as the JERC, Maulets or the Coordinadora d'Assemblees de Joves de l'Esquerra Independentista, and a students' organization, SEPC.

Polls regularly indicate an ambivalent and far from univocal feeling. For example, in 2007 a poll indicated that, when asked about the independence of Catalonia, 51% of the population would be against it, 32% would favour it, while 17% do not have an opinion. In turn, this same poll indicated that, when asked about the meaning of Spain, only 5% identified with the independentist option ("Spain is an alien State of which my country is not a part"). [http://www.icps.es/archivos/sondeigs/SC2007.pdf]

In recent years Catalan independentism reasons have received support from individuals coming from a broader political spectrum, such as the liberal economist Xavier Sala i Martín [ [http://www.columbia.edu/~xs23/papers/independ%20english.htm Sala-i-Martin's Independence ] ] .

In Spain, some consider this current risingFact|date=April 2007 may have been triggered as a reaction especially against the policy of the latter Spanish governments of the Partido Popular party, and the fierce opposition to certain legislative reforms such as the new proposal of Statute of Catalonia.

ee also

*List of active autonomist and secessionist movements
*Catalan Republic
*Catalan Countries
*Catalan nationalism
*History of Catalonia
*Catalan language
*Anti-Catalanism
*Racó Català. web portal related to Catalan independentism.

References

External links

* [http://www.freecatalonia.com/ Free Catalonia]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0611FD385B0C718CDDA80994DE404482 Party Urging More Autonomy From Spain Seems to Win in Catalonia] Article on New York Times, November 2, 2006
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60D10FD34550C718EDDAF0894DE404482 Courage in Catalonia] Article on New York Times, June 22, 2006
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70D11FF35550C7A8DDDAF0894DE404482 Voters in Catalonia Approve A Plan for Greater Autonomy] Article on New York Times, June 19, 2006
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30C13FF39540C728FDDAA0894DE404482 Spain Moves On Law to Give Broad Powers To Catalonia] Article on New York Times, March 31, 2006
*. ca icon
* [http://www.xtec.es/recursos/socials/eltemps/abril_05.pdf History of Catalan independentism] . Dossier of the Catalan magazine El Temps. ca icon
* [http://www.estatpropi.cat/ Estatpropi.Cat, Webpage to count and to show the support to create an own state for the Catalan Countries]