Hungary and Poland quarrel about vodka. Two other nations, Spain and Catalonia, quarrel about cava, a sparkling wine that resembles champagne. However, while the Poles and the Hungarians quarrel about the definition of vodka, with the Poles wanting to prohibit the Hungarians from calling their vodka “vodka”, the Spanish and the Catalans quarrel about the definition of a nation, with the Spanish wanting to prohibit the Catalonians from calling their nation a nation.

For those who have never heard of Catalonia, it was called Aragón in the Middle Ages when it was an independent kingdom centered around Barcelona. In 1479 it was united in a personal union with Castile (the area surrounding Madrid) and Navarra (the homeland of the Basques) to form the “Kingdom of the Spains” (in the plural). Soon, however, Spain became a synonym for Castile and the Castilian language came to be called Spanish and was imposed on the whole country, including the Basques and the Catalans.

Last September the Catalan regional parliament in Barcelona voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution that Catalonia be recognized as a nation unto itself. The Catalans want recognition of this nationhood in the new Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, that is currently being debated in the Spanish parliament.

Radical Spaniards (i.e. Castilians) deny that Catalonia is a nation, claiming that only Spain can be considered a nation. They accuse the Catalans of wanting to become independent and, in order to teach them a lesson, have called for a Spanish boycott of Catalan products, including cava – thereby conceding that cava, which they claim is “Spanish champagne,” is Catalan after all.

The boycott began in October with the circulation of emails exhorting people not to purchase products from Catalonia and to consume products from companies not based in Catalonia instead. The boycott included international companies whose Spanish headquarters are based in Catalonia, such as Danone, Nestlé, Sony, Volkswagen, etc. Catalonia is the first market for many foreign companies. It has 7 million inhabitants and is the economic engine of Spain (total population: 40 million). Catalan taxes support Castile’s poor regions, like Andalusia and Extremadura. An often heard Catalan complaint is that it provides Spain with much more than it receives in return.

Cava especially has suffered from last autumn’s boycott because it used to be a very popular drink all over Spain around Christmas and New Year. During the lead-up to the holiday season sales decreased dramatically in Castile, especially in the Madrid, Seville and Murcia regions. The knock-on effects of the boycott could be felt in the rest of Spain, including Castile. Glass and cork producers from as far as Extremadura were hit. However, the sale of Extremaduran espumoso (a similar drink to cava) increased sevenfold.

Grupo Codorníu, one of the biggest cava producing companies, saw its annual net profit decrease to 3.76 million euros, while it was 8.57 million during the previous accounting period. Last month some figures relating to the boycott so far were published. The entire cava industry has suffered a loss of 6.6% of its total profits during 2005. The loss was entirely due to the national (Spanish) market and might have been even worse if the industry had not been able to increase its export to Europe with 6.3% in 2005.

At present the boycott seems to be on the decrease. Yet it has certainly been harmful to the economy of Catalonia, but also for the international reputation of Spain. Last January the Spanish government felt compelled to put one of Spain’s senior generals under house arrest after he had suggested that the army would intervene to quell demands for greater autonomy from Catalonia. Lieutenant General José Mena Aguado had said that the army is responsible for defending Spain’s “territorial integrity,” indicating that it would intervene if the Spanish parliament should approve a new Statute for Catalonia in which Catalonia is called a nation. General Mena has become a hero of the Castilian nationalists, who regard him as a Spanish martyr.

The Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia dates from 1979. It defines the present autonomous powers of Catalonia, its institutions and its relations to the Spanish State. Attempts to revise it in the Spanish parliament began last autumn (incidentally when the boycott started).

Historically Catalonia once was a nation in its own right. During the War of Segadors (1640-1659) the Hispanic monarchy was successful in fulfilling its aspirations of unification. On September 11th 1714, Barcelona was conquered by the French, acting on behalf of the new (French) Bourbon dynasty in Spain. As a result the Catalan territories lost their own institutions and constitutional system. In 1716 Catalonia completely lost its own nationhood and became part of the Spanish Monarchy.

During the latter part of the 19th century Catalanism was formulated. Interestingly, this doctrine was predominantly (though not exclusively) developed in conservative circles. Politically Catalanism came about in 1914 through the creation of the Mancomunitat, which was brought to an end by the dictatorship in Spain of General Primo de Rivera (1923). Subsequently the Second Republic brought back autonomy to Catalonia. However, the Spanish Civil War dramatically interrupted this.

In 1939 Franco’s army occupied Catalonia. General Francisco Franco at once suppressed Catalonia’s Statute. All expression of Catalanism was suppressed. The use of the Catalan language was prohibited. Lluis Companys, the former President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, was executed in Barcelona in 1940.

The 1979 Statute, introduced after Franco’s death, entitles the region of Catalonia to have some limited legislative autonomy and, therefore, executive competence. The Generalitat of Catalonia is the political institution which comprises the Catalan Parliament, the Catalan Government and its President. Barcelona, the Catalan capital, is one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean. In addition to Catalan’s 7 million inhabitants, another 3 million speakers of Catalan live in surrounding regions, such as Valencia and the Balearic Islands.

Update:

On 30 March the Spanish House of Representatives approved the new Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia with 189 votes against 154. The Spanish Conservatives voted against the Statute because they consider the enlargement of regional autonomy of Catalonia “the beginning of the end of Spain.” The Catalanists also voted against the new Statute because it does not officially recognize Catalonia to be a “nation.” The Spanish Senate still has to vote on the Statute.

More on this topic:

Catalonia Gets Internet Country Suffix. Sort Of, 19 September 2005