* Sagrada Familia: Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia. It was designed by genius architect Antonio Gaudi.
Spain is a place with strong regional characteristics. So local autonomy is well established. However, Catalonia seeks independence from the Spanish central government beyond local autonomy. Just as the Scottish people want to separate from the UK and form a Scottish nation, the Catalan people want their own ‘Catalan nation’. Perhaps for this reason, when traveling around Catalonia, it is not difficult to see very political graffiti.
– Catalonia is not Spain
– Spain is holding political prisoners.
Catalan people claim that Catalonia was incorporated into Spanish history after the 1700s. It is emphasized that because it was a region that exercised its own sovereignty just 300 years ago, it had a different identity from Castile, the central region of Spain.
* Barcelona: Graffiti that says ‘Spain is holding a political prisoner.’ Someone deleted it and changed it to read ‘Spain first.’
Catalonia has its own language called Catalan, but its use was once banned. As the oppression intensified, their love for Catalan deepened. Antonio Gaudi, a genius architect from Reus near Barcelona, was also one of those who loved Catalan. It was September 1924.
At that time, it was the dictatorship period ruled by Primo de Rivera, who came to power through a coup, and Gaudí was caught by the police for speaking Catalan. Although there were insults and oppression from the police, Gaudi eventually refused to speak Spanish. It was an incident that highlighted Gaudí’s firm determination not to lose Catalonia’s identity.
These flows were derived from actual actions. That is the establishment of the Republic of Catalonia. Historically, there have been several attempts to establish a Catalan state, but they have been thwarted each time. However, the desire for an independent country was steadily expressed, and it was implemented a few years ago in 2017.
On August 8, 2024, something like a scene from a movie happened in Barcelona. Carles Puigdemont, the former head of the Catalan autonomous government, returned home after seven years and disappeared as if he had disappeared. At the time, Puigdemont participated in a welcome event for the political party he belonged to called ‘Together for Catalonia’. At this event, he gives a speech arguing for the legitimacy of Catalan independence. He went up to the podium surrounded by numerous supporters and left again. Afterwards, we left the meeting place in the prepared car.
Is there a problem here? A politician said he would go up to the podium and make a political statement… but there was a problem. This is because Puigdemont was wanted by Spanish public security authorities on various charges. He did not leave the meeting place and go home, but crossed the border. Numerous supporters acted as a block, and the police who were waiting to arrest him ended up making a fuss.
* Pugi Demon: Former head of the Catalan autonomous government. Source: Wikimedia Commons
What exactly happened to make the Spanish central government pay attention to Puigdemont’s actions? It was October 2017. There was a referendum on whether Catalonia would become independent, and the result was in favor of independence. Accordingly, the Catalan nation was declared, and Puigdemont came to power as the first head of state. The independence faction, including Puigdemont, called it the Republic of Catalonia.
The Republic of Catalonia, with Barcelona as its capital, was about 320,000 km², slightly larger than Belgium (about 300,000 km²), and had a population of about 7 million. Catalonia’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 is $244.1 billion, slightly lower than Portugal’s $255.8 billion. If a country the size of Belgium and the economic power of Portugal had emerged in the 21st century, European history would have been rewritten.
But we know the conclusion. The Republic of Catalonia, which emerged in 2017, collapsed as soon as it began. So, few Koreans know about the existence of the Republic of Catalonia. It’s even stranger if there are people who know of its existence.
Let’s find out how the series of events unfolded. This was not a central government that would sit idly by and watch independence. Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish Prime Minister at the time, invoked the Constitution and dismissed Puigdemont, the leader. He was also wanted for charges such as treason and breach of trust. He left his hometown and went into exile in Belgium, and the Catalan nation disappeared into history in five days. After the Republic of Catalonia ended on the 5th, the power vacuum was filled by the central government. The Spanish central government ruled Catalonia directly for four months.
* Catalonia: It is called Senyera in Catalan. This emblem was originally the symbol of the United Kingdom of Aragon. Therefore, it is widely used not only in Catalonia but also in the former Kingdom of Aragon region, such as Aragon and Valencia.
* Estellada(Estelada): The flag waved by Catalan independence forces and symbolizes Catalan nationalism. It is an unofficial flag.
The Catalan independence issue in 2017 was a major event that shook not only Spain but all of Europe. Due to Puigdemont’s exile and the central government’s hard-line response, the brunt of the independence movement was broken. But the spark was still latent.
Seven years later, in August 2024, Puigdemont was able to set foot on Catalan soil again on the condition that he surrender. The scenario was that he was taken away by the police after giving a speech in front of his supporters. However, as mentioned earlier, he did not turn himself in and crossed the border again as he had done seven years ago.
Separation and independence are also intertwined with economic issues. What if Catalonia is poorer than other regions of Spain? Of course, the direction of the independence movement will not be determined by economic power. However, if their money is being collected more than other regions, they may not be very happy about it.
It actually did. Catalonia’s gross domestic product (GDP) accounts for about 20% of Spain’s total as of 2022. In response to this, separatists criticize the central government for failing to return the same amount of benefits despite their significant economic contribution. Although more money is sent to the central government than other regions of Spain, the reinvestment costs back to Catalonia are actually less. This means that they are suffering a loss.
* Montserrat: Gaudí gained great inspiration from this rocky mountain. Located near Barcelona.
These arguments became persuasive in conjunction with the economic crisis. Around 2010, an economic crisis hit southern Europe, and the initial letters of the affected countries became PIGS. Portugal(Portugal), Italy (Italy), Greece(Greece), Spain (Spain). These are all countries I like, so how did they get the humiliating title of ‘pigs’? Anyway, when this financial crisis hit, Catalan separatists expressed their dissatisfaction, asking why they should shoulder the incompetence of the Spanish central government. . They argue that we can live better if we become independent and carry out our own economic policies.
So far, we have looked into the Catalan issue, focusing on the Catalan Republic incident that occurred in 2017. Although it is quiet for now, the Catalonia issue could surface again at any time. As if an economic crisis could occur again at any time…
How does the Catalonia issue approach a person living in a divided country divided between North and South? There is no need to take anyone’s side. But there was definitely an engraved feeling. Amazing!
* Catalonia map
