Spain Breaking Up Again? Catalonia seceding [5 separate nations, speaking at least 4 languages]

American Thinker ^ | 12/04/2015 | Mike Konrad

[SeekAndFind]

Spain is once again about to fall apart. This time it may have a real problem in Catalonia, the prosperous industrial province on its northeast Mediterranean coast.

In November 2014, 80% of Catalonians polled favored independence in a non-binding election.  The Spanish Constitutional Court ruled the plebiscite illegal; but the separatists did not give up.  Elections this September 2015 have given Catalonia's autonomous region a separatist legislature, well over half being secessionist (72 - 63), though the popular vote for these particular parties was only 48%. They are seeking independence in 2017. The battle is on.

Spain was and is a mess.  Spain is at least five separate nations, speaking at least four languages, under one government. 

(Only the gray area is proud to be Spanish) Spain is less a country than a very contentious contiguous empire of significantly different peoples.

In a nutshell:

Catalonia is in the northeast, and speaks Catalan, a language that looks like a French-Spanish hybrid.  They were once a separate nation.  They have waged more than one savage war to break away. In the 20th century, despite Franco's coercive efforts to crush their identity, they maintained their language, which is today re-asserting itself to the detriment of standard Castilian Spanish. Local schools instruct in Catalan, and 84% speak it to some degree. As time goes by, given the schooling, that percentage should rise. To raise the stakes, Catalonia has encouraged local immigrants to learn Catalan, not Spanish. The Moroccan immigrant, Najat El Hachmi, has won the Ramon Llull prize for Catalan letters.

[SeekAndFind]

[SeekAndFind]

Only the gray area is proud to be Spanish. Spain is less a country than a very contentious contiguous empire of significantly different peoples.

[VanDeKoik]

Europe is quickly headed back to its more normal pre-1800 state especially the way things are going now.

Ancient nations will reemerge, rather than submit to being vassal states to governments that are hell-bent on eradicating European culture.

[VanShuyten]

I don’t really care, except how this affects the US military bases.

[dfwgator]

What happens to FC Barcelona? They probably won’t be allowed in the Spanish League, where would they go?

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Mom is Basque and this would be welcome news!

Wife is Basque/Catalan, she welcomes it also but doesn’t understand the politics and history behind this movement.

My mom’s native language or heritage isn’t even remotely related to “Spain”.

[SeekAndFind]

I spoke to a colleague from Madrid. He tells me that he understands the Catalonian frustration, especially the folks living in Barcelona.

Barcelona estimates that only 70% of the taxes sent to Madrid are used for their benefit. The rest are distributed to the other regions.

In essence, Barcelona is PAYING for the rest of Spain.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Catalonia can form it’s own league.
The talent there is just as good as anywhere else.

Besides, I’d guess to say that Spain will remain united in a form sort of like Switzerland is. That nation is a hodge podge of German, French, Italian and Romanisch.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

That’s how it works in the burbs of major cities here as well.
The rich areas finance the inner city ghettos literally.

Language & Culture is the excuse, but there’s more of a reason behind it like your colleague mentions.

[dfwgator]

Catalonia can form it’s own league.

Talk about a big fish in a small pond, it will be like Celtic in Scotland.

[dfwgator]

What I’ve heard is that the French Ligue 1 would take Barca, if Catalonia went independent.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Scotland is the league I actually had in mind when you brought up the question about a Catalan League.

Celtic/Rangers/Aberdeen

Barcelona/Valencia/Espanyol

[Roman_War_Criminal]

They’d destroy the competition in Ligue 1 if they joined it.

I just can’t foresee La Liga breaking up over this.

Too many excellent teams impacted by it.

Hell...Athletic Bilbao which has a Basques only policy would easily be in the top 2 or 3 of the Ligue 1.

[dfwgator]

They’d destroy the competition in Ligue 1 if they joined it.

Guess Barca-PSG would become the new "El Classico" or "Le Classique"

[Neoliberalnot]

Precisely what is desperately needed in the U.S.

[dfwgator]

Valencia is not in Catalonia. Probably 80% of Catalonia lives in the Barcelona metro area.

[dfwgator]

La Liga has already said that Barca is out if Catalonia gets independence.

Could be nothing more than a negotiating ploy on their part, though.

[AFreeBird]

They’ve been trying to be independent for centuries.

[SES1066]

It is always interesting (and instructive) to watch the Tour d’France and its matching La Vuelta a Espana cycling races. The ‘national’ flags seen are seldom of the NATION one expects from the map and they do reflect this article and also the regions in France as well. It is almost as if one were to seldom see the Stars&Stripes and instead see the state flags in pride of place. Of course that is EXPECTED in Texas which is the exception that proves the rule!

Still these regional secession efforts will continue (Scotland, Wales, Cornwall etc.) as the localities see little advantage to their conglomeration in current times. Spain, which once included Portugal, came together in the Reconquista as the Islamic Moors were driven out over a 500+ year period. The various regions mentioned here derive from Roman times onward but were ‘suppressed’ by external dangers and internal governments. It will be very interesting to see how far this goes - will the EU survive if Europe fragments?

[Flick Lives]

Of goody. Another sign we’re entering the second Middle Ages. The rise of the city-states... again.