Why Catalonia’s independent spirit does not burn inWales
Many Catalonians can easily imagine their home nation not just surviving, but thriving as a country no longer bound to Madrid, writes political editor David Williamson
THE events of this week could prove decisive in the history not just of Catalonia, but of Spain. Spanish efforts to stop the independence referendum planned for October 1 have sent thousands of people onto the streets.
Politicians have been arrested and officials face daily fines running into the thousands of euros if they press ahead with preparations for the vote.
The desire for Catalonian independence unites activists on the left and the right and has escalated in recent years.
The contrast with Wales is sharp. YouGov research this month found only 6% of people in Wales back independence.
Why is independence such a powerful idea in Catalonia but not in Wales?
A key reason is that Catalans have recent memories of direct and fierce oppression.
The Catalan language, culture and self-government were suppressed by the dictatorship led by Gen Francisco Franco until his death in 1975.
But here are six further differences between Catalonia and Wales which may go towards explaining the very different attitudes to independence: 1. Catalonia is wealthy. Catalonia generates around a fifth of Spain’s GDP. In contrast, a Cardiff University study found Wales ran a deficit of £14.7bn in 2014-15.
According to the Office for National Statistics, Wales had the lowest Gross Value Added (GVA) per head in the UK in 2015 at just £18,002. Catalonia’s prosperity means its people have little difficulty imagining it as a standalone country.
2. The Catalan language is understood by the vast majority of people.
Language is one of the most powerful forces when it comes to fostering a sense of shared nationhood.
More than one in three people (36.3%) in Catalonia considered Catalan their “usual language” in 2013. Figures from 2011 show that 73.16% could speak Catalan and 96.12% could understand it.
The 2011 census in Britain found just 19% of people in Wales could speak Welsh.
3. Catalonia has a population more than twice that of Wales.
There are 7.5 million people living in Catalonia out of a total Spanish population of 46.5 million. It is Spain’s second-biggest autonomous region.
If the region became independent overnight it would have a bigger population than the likes of Bulgaria (7.1 million) and Norway (5.2 million). There are many independent countries with smaller populations than Wales (3.1 million) but a vote for Welsh independence would involve a psychological jump – swapping life in the world’s fifthlargest economy for the adventures and risks that would await a small country trying to carve out an identity in a turbulent world.
4. Multiple political parties in Catalonia back the independence referendum.
Plaid Cymru is the only mainstream party in Wales advocating independence. But there are a host of parties in Catalonian politics behind the drive for the referendum.
The 2015 regional elections saw pro-independence parties winning the most seats, although they fell just short of getting an outright majority of votes.
Plaid AM Adam Price asked in July: “Could you imagine a sister party which works with Plaid and tries to appeal in those areas where Plaid is currently not breaking through?”
5. Spain has a constitution which does not give regions the option of breaking away.
Spain, unlike the UK, has a written constitution. It stresses the “indissoluble unity of the Spanish Nation” and describes Spain as “the common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards”.
Experts suggest the efforts to stop the Catalonian referendum taking place may inflame demand for independence.
6. Wales has steadily gained more devolution but many Catalonians feel aggrieved.
The Assembly has been turbocharged since its creation in 1999. It has gained new powers to make laws and levy taxes; it will almost certainly be renamed a parliament and may have more members.
Catalonia’s recent push for independence has its roots in protests which were triggered in 2010 when Spain’s constitutional court struck down parts of an autonomy statute backed by both the Madrid and Catalan parliaments. There was anger that Catalan could not be the “preferred language” and more than a million people took to the streets.
Dr Catrin Wyn Edwards, an expert on Catalonian politics at Aberystwyth University, argues that Spain’s response to the referendum effort could “absolutely” deepen desire for independence.
She said: “Back in early September the parliament passed a bill to hold the referendum on October 1 and what we’ve seen since then has been, I think, quite shocking, actually.”
Professor Laura McAllister, of Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre, said: “If you wanted to boost support for independence, then this is the way to do it, isn’t it? Corner people and suggest they have no right to hold a referendum.”