Generalitat de Catalunya

1
Generalitat de Catalunya

• Introduction and History of Catalonia
• Current Situation Regarding Catalonian
  Independence

2
Catalonia

• Population 7 Million
• Capital Barcelona
• Language Catalan
• Hello hola
• Good-bye adéu, adéu, siau
• Please si us plau
• Thank you gràcies, mercès, merci
• Sorry perdó, em sap greu, ho sento

3
History

• United with Aragon in 1137
• Retained a state of autonomy
• Second Spanish Republic (1931)
• First Statue of Autonomy
• Comprehensive state compatible with the autonomy
  of municipalities and regions

4
History

• Second Republic dissolved at the end of the
  Spanish Civil War (1939)
• General Francisco Franco reestablished the
  Kingdom of Spain

5
History

• Kingdom of Spain (1947-1975)
• Catalonian government sent into exile
• Attempt to unite Spain under one language
• Francos death in 1975
• The Constitution of 1978

6
The Constitution of 1978

• Issue of the different nationalities within Spain
• Preliminary Title
• Section 2
• The Constitution is based on the indissoluble
  unity of the Spanish Nation, the common and
  indivisible homeland of all Spaniards it
  recognizes and guarantees the right to
  self-government of the nationalities and regions
  of which it is composed and the solidarity among
  them all.
• Section 3
• 1. Castilian is the official Spanish language of
  the State. All Spaniards have the duty to know it
  and the right to use it.
• 2. The other Spanish languages shall also be
  official in the respective Self-governing
  Communities in accordance with their Statutes.
• 3. The richness of the different linguistic
  modalities of Spain is a cultural heritage which
  shall be specially respected and protected.
• Article 143
• Section 1. In the exercise of the right to
  self-government recognized in Article 2 of the
  Constitution, bordering provinces with common
  historic, cultural and economic characteristics,
  island territories and provinces with historic
  regional status may accede to self-government and
  form Autonomous Communities in conformity with
  the provisions contained in this Title and in the
  respective Statutes.

7
Second Statute of Autonomy (1979)

• Title IV Powers
• Articles 110-173
• 110-115 Types of Powers
• 116-173 Matters of Power

8
Statue of Autonomy (2006)

• Referendum proposed to ease growing tension
• Expanded the power of the Catalonian government
• Used as a way to appease Catalonia and to prevent
  them from breaking away from Spain
• National Entity

9
Frankfurt Book Fair

• 2007- invited the region of Catalan to present
  its literary talent instead of the nation of
  Spain
• Carlos Ruiz-Zafon blamed political commissers
  who eagerly took over and handled this affair and
  who decided what kind of image of Catalonia they
  wanted to project, mostly to their own Catalan
  constituents, who are the real audience of this
  whole sideshow, not those attending the fair or
  the international media."

10
Kosovo

• 2008 Kosovo declared its independence
• Vladimir Putin compared the situation in Kosovo
  to the situation in Catalonia
• Spain would not recognize Kosovo

11
Sources

• http//www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/eu
  ropean_football/article744311.ece
• http//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic
  le/2007/08/08/AR2007080802417.html
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4398702.stm
• http//www.gencat.cat/generalitat/eng/estatut/inde
  x.htm
• http//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic
  le/2006/01/27/AR2006012701508_2.html
• http//www.gencat.cat/index_eng.htm
• http//globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/20/spanish-r
  eactions-to-kosovos-independence/
• http//www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/18/europe/E
  U-Kosovo.php