Il problema catalano, il problema spagnolo. Dal franchismo alla democrazia

Abstract

The Question of Catalonia, the Question of Spain. From Francoism to Democracy

In the second decade of the XXIst century, the question of Catalonia remains the question of Spain. The uniform and centralist idea of Spain — in spite of a rhetorical acceptance of its diversity — was a guiding principle of the Francoist policies towards Catalonia. Nevertheless, the dictatorship was not able — despite the repression that it continuously applied to fight the “Catalan problem” — to avoid the resurgence of Catalanism during the late Francoism. This article outlines the features of the popular Catalanism prevailing in those years and the influence it managed to exert on the Antifrancoism as a whole. As a result, the unitary organizations of the Spanish opposition included in their democratic program the recognition of the right to autonomy for the “nationalities” and regions, as it was eventually formulated in the Constitution of 1978.