Picture: © Daniel Slusarcik, 2006

Flags are visible in every corner of the stadium. Hundreds of flags of two different colours waving in the wind. Let’s go back to Sunday night, 8th of October of 2006 in Camp Nou, the football-stadium of FC Barcelona. Everywhere people are chanting and supporting their team. There are two varieties of flags waving in the stadium: Senyeres and Ikurriñas - the flags of Catalonia and the Basque country. Over 55,000 fans have come to watch the game between the two football teams. It is evident that the match is not only about football. Banners advocating self-determination have turned the stadium into something resembling an enormous political rally. One banner stands out. It is huge and carries the slogan “Catalonia is not Spain”.

In Madrid they only care about Madrid!

Catalonia, together with the Basque country and Galicia form part of the historical regions of Spain. In terms of legislation and administration they are endowed with significant power of their own. But it has not always been this way. More than once in its history, Catalonia was forced to give up its autonomous rights and powers. During Franco’s dictatorship from 1939 until 1977 the right of self-administration was abolished by the central state. The use of the Catalan language was prohibited and sanctioned, classes were taught only in Spanish and the names of cities and towns had to be changed. Only when Franco died and Spain became a democratic state in 1978 was Catalonia able to regain its independence. Since then much effort has been made to maintain and promote the Catalan culture and to enforce the use of Catalan as the only official language in administration as well as in schools.

(...) Ver todo o artigo em:

Gennadi Kneper, Ina Mettjes, & Lisa Muench - “Catalonia is not Spain” In point-e magazine, european perspectives on politics, culture and ideas. [on-line]Germany: point-e magazine, 2007.http://www.point-e.com/show/87.