Catalonia in the New Europe

Changing patterns of government in Europe, particularly regional development, have influenced the nationalist strategies of the Catalan political parties. This book examines the policies of the Catalan political parties towards national and regional identity in the context of increasing European integration. It focuses on the important period from 1980 to 2000 when Catalan autonomy was achieved and consolidated and argues that, in this new context, national identity is becoming more complex and multilayered, reflecting the changing patterns of governance in Europe. By examining two different approaches to identity politics - nationalism and regionalism - it analyses how nationalism has been interpreted in Europe since the second half of the twentieth century. It then examines how regional policies and European decentralisation have taken this discussion on national identity one stage further. Focusing on four key areas - culture, nation or region, Catalonia and Spain, and Catalonia and Europe - the author describes how Catalonia fits into this context.