Catalunya: A New Country?

Young Catalan Protester. Barcelona, 2010

My wife, being a native Catalana from the city of Barcelona, that portion of what is now northeastern Spain and southern France is near and dear to our hearts. Barcelona is very much like our second home. The Catalans have their own language (and no, it is NOT Castellano!) and a culture and history very distinct from the rest of Spain.

Now, if you have paid any attention at all to European news you know that the economy across the pond is not doing very well–especially in Ireland, Greece, Italy, and now Spain. This has pushed the Catalan population to shout much louder for their independence. Catalunya, being the most productive region of Spain, feels that they are being taken advantage of by the rest of the country.

So, this past September 11th, on the anniversary of Catalunya’s loss of independence in 1714, well over a million Catalans took to the streets calling for separation from Spain.

Now to the photography. This link takes you to a spectacular 360-degree, zoomable image (not mine, it’s from The Telegraph via the La Vanguardia newspaper, I believe) of one such mass demonstration and starts with a performance by one of the traditional castellers, or human castle groups of Catalunya: http://ext.lavanguardia.es/pans/index.html

Above, I have inserted one of my own images from a similar demonstration for independence in 2010 when we were living in Barcelona.

So, what will happen now to Catalunya? Will the government in Madrid let them go without a fight, political or otherwise? Will that mean separation for the Basque Country, too? Can we see the future in the eyes of this young Catalan protester? Will he grow up in a Catalunya separate from Spain? Time will tell.