Today’s class: NATIONHOOD, Teacher: THE CATALUNYAN PEOPLE

I’m also having some time to go around. On Saturday, I spent the afternoon in Barcelona. The plan was to visit some touristic places, like the “Sagrada Familia” church and the “Parc Güel”. However, on the way to the second, something happened.

I was with other two mates of the course. We got the subway from the “Sagrada Familia” towards the “Parc Güel”, but we met a nice crowd. During this week, there was a review in the Spanish Constitution, which made lots of people angry. Around 1 million people gathered in the streets of Barcelona to protest.

The political system of Spain is kind of complicated. There is a Constitution, there is a King, and there are many other divisions in the country. After the end of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1975, the country has gotten a new system, monarchy reestablished and stuff. The main concept is that it was recognized then Spain is a country of different nations, which means, Catalunya would have the right to have its own ways, its own language, its own institutions. Spanish model created the possibility for other countries to do the same. For instance, Brazil recognizes the nations within the country, like many Brazilian-native and some quilombolas as part of the Federation. Other countries do the same, like Canada recognizing the Quebéc Nation as part of the country.

Catalunya, which capital is Barcelona, has asked that they should also have the right to manage some of their business without Spanish intervention. The process was long: Catalunyans voted for that, approving these changes, then Catalunyan Congress approved the public referendum, then Spanish Congress approved this demand, and then federal judges declared it was constitutional, and then…

Before it was finally approved and made law, there is an extra level of approval of some “Constituent Judges”, like they are the ones who say if something can be sent to the Constitution or not (at least that is what I understood). They declared: there is just one nation, the Spanish nation.

Well, that triggered 1 million of the 7 million Catalunyans to run to the streets on Saturday, not requesting some autonomy anymore, but asking for INDEPENDENCE! “Adió Espanya”, they said.

And with all generations on the streets, I don’t think this feeling will fade out anytime soon.