Fragmented Catalonia - Divisive legacies of a push for secession - ADOLF TOBEÑA

The tense and embittered dispute between Catalonian citizens who are in favour of segregation from Spain and those who prefer to maintain the ties that unite them to the rest of Spain, has, to a large extent, poisoned the good governance and the enjoyment of the undeniable amenities of the region. [...] The first two chapters present a brief portrait of the place of Catalonia within Spain and the main political events and recent electoral results that underpin the entrenched and polarised situation that has taken room in the region in the wake of the secession push. [...] She became the main voice for the unionist community in Catalonia by winning, defying all serious forecasts, the regional elections of December 2017, after the failed secession attempt that autumn when large segments of the CatSpanish people placed their faith in her and in her party to counteract the dominance of the secessionist forces both on the streets and within the autonomous administration. [...] The penetration and dissemination of the Catalonian story of victimisation, meanwhile, has been so effective that it is necessary to recognise and acknowledge the regional government for its effective mobilisation of influence in this regard; the impact and influence over some of the best placed journalists and academics in every corner of the globe is quite remarkable.16 It is worth asking if an. [...] On that placid morning on the Bellaterra Campus of the UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) on the outskirts of the city, in a wide-ranging discussion, we discussed the relevance of the “Barcelona factor” to the secessionist push, among many other topics.