The independence referendum in Catalonia could fuel separatist sentiments in Europe. Deutsche Welle reports on which regions might follow the Catalans' example.
Catalonia – for secession
Nowhere in Western Europe has the call for independence been as loud as in Catalonia. During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain from 1936 to 1975, the Catalan language was banned. However, in the late 1970s, Catalonia gained a high degree of cultural and political autonomy, with its own regional parliament in Barcelona.
Today, many of the 7.5 million Catalans find this insufficient. In a referendum on October 1, 2017, they voted for secession from Spain. Locals want to see Catalonia independent primarily for economic reasons – out of fear that Spain will drain their region, which has the highest standard of living in the country.
About 20 percent of Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) is produced in Catalonia. And despite the Spanish economy recovering after the 2008 financial crisis, the number of secession supporters in Catalonia has been increasing over the years.
Militant Basques
The Basque Country, long considered one of the main hotbeds of separatism in Europe, has ceded the lead in the struggle for independence to Catalonia for several reasons. The Basque minority was once much more militant. The Basque language was also banned during Franco's dictatorship. And from 1961 to 2011, the Basque separatist group ETA killed more than 800 people in its quest to secede from Spain, but later renounced violence.
However, neither terrorist attacks nor political negotiations brought the Basque Country closer to an independence referendum. According to the Spanish constitution, only the central government can hold a referendum on this issue. But Madrid, as in the case of Catalonia, rejects this option, considering it illegal.
Economically, the Basque Country is weaker than Catalonia, but it enjoys benefits – a special tax regime. It independently manages tax revenues and pays only a small amount to the Spanish budget, unlike the Catalan region. Now Basque nationalists do not consider gaining independence a priority and are only seeking to expand autonomy rights.
Scotland – for EU membership
Despite the political and economic union of Scotland with England being over 300 years old, the Scots have always strived for greater independence. They have their own parliament, but the Scottish government would like full autonomy. However, 55 percent of Scots voted against breaking up the United Kingdom in the 2014 independence referendum.
Regions in Europe with notable independence aspirations
The spirit of separatism revived after the June 2016 referendum on the UK's exit from the EU. Then, 62 percent of Scottish residents, unlike those in England and Wales, did not support Brexit. And nationalists from the Scottish National Party (SNP) returned to the idea of an independence referendum to preserve Scotland's EU membership and the European single market.
A new plebiscite on independence is planned for autumn 2018 or winter 2019 – before the UK leaves the European Union. But polls conducted in Scotland do not rule out that the outcome of another independence referendum could be the same as in 2014 – a majority of Scots would not support breaking up the UK.
Flanders – a special case
In the 2014 parliamentary elections in Belgium, the nationalist party New Flemish Alliance won. Its leader, Bart De Wever, is convinced that Belgium as a state will soon "disappear." Through negotiations, De Wever wants to achieve autonomy and independence for the developed northern region of Flanders, where his party holds the strongest positions.
Flemish separatism is a special case. Belgium consists of Flanders, where Dutch is spoken; French-speaking Wallonia, which includes a German-speaking community; and Brussels, with two official languages – Dutch and French.
If Flanders secedes, Belgium would lose more than half of its population and economic power. The status of Brussels, which houses the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, would also be in question. For now, debates about Flanders' exit are on hold, and Belgium has not split.
Prosperous northern Italy
Attempts to secede northern Italy are driven purely by economic reasons. Thanks to industry and the banking sector, the north of the country, with regions such as Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and others, makes a significant contribution to Italy's GDP. Many locals believe that the money they earn with great effort is squandered by the central and southern regions.
Back in the 1990s, the Northern League (Lega Nord) party sought full secession of this part of Italy, called Padania (from the Italian "pianura padana" – Po Valley). Today, the party's demands have become more moderate: successful northern areas should manage 75 percent of their own revenues rather than remitting everything to the state budget to compensate for the effects of Italy's prolonged economic crisis.
South Tyrol for "freedom from Rome"
Until the end of World War I, German-speaking South Tyrol belonged to Austria-Hungary, after which it was assigned to Italy. During Mussolini's rule, Italian culture and language were imposed here. After World War II, South Tyrol gained even greater political and linguistic autonomy.
This prosperous region can dispose of most of its revenues, which for a long time satisfied the South Tyroleans. However, the debt crisis that erupted in the euro zone fueled separatist sentiments.
After Greece, Italy is the second country in terms of debt. Its economy shows weak performance. Many residents of South Tyrol, who are doing well, do not want the problems of all Italy to be shifted onto their shoulders. Therefore, in their region, the call “Freedom from Rome!” is increasingly heard.
Corsica: the rebellious island
French authorities long tried to push the Corsican language out of public life and local schools on this Mediterranean island, and suppressed attempts by Corsicans to secede. The separatist organization “Front de libération nationale de la Corse” (FLNC), with weapons in hand, tried for many years to achieve autonomy for the region from France and a special status for the territory, carrying out sabotage against state representatives or attacking French holiday homes.
Proposals by the French government under Lionel Jospin in 2000 on Corsican autonomy (among other things, transferring legislative initiatives to local authorities) were met with hostility by the conservative opposition, which feared that other regions of France – Brittany, Alsace, Provence – would also demand greater independence, posing a threat to the unity of France.
Only in 2014 did the separatists from the FLNC announce a renunciation of armed struggle underground. But the likelihood of new conflicts over the struggle for Corsican independence is not ruled out.
Bavaria: life separate from Germany?
Bavarians, perhaps, are the least likely of all to seriously think about forming their own state. After all, this federal state of Germany is already officially called the “Republic of Bavaria.” It is the largest and most prosperous economic region of the FRG. Almost 13 million people live here – more than in Sweden or Portugal.
However, the desire for secession also arises among Bavarians who believe that the economic weakness of poorer regions is compensated at their expense. Bavaria would like to pay less into the common treasury. This is actively advocated, for example, by journalist and member of the Bavarian CSU party Wilfried Scharnagl.
In 2012, a book was published titled “Bavaria Can Manage on Its Own,” in which Scharnagl advocates leaving the FRG. But such separatist sentiments do not find a mass response among the population.