CATALONIA -- Catalonia - Bloomberg View
Spain is still fighting a battle that first tore the country apart more than three centuries ago. The Catalans who inhabit the northeast corner near France are pushing for a vote on independence, citing grievances that go back to Spain’s War of Succession. As European powers became embroiled in conflict after the last Hapsburg king died in 1700, wealthy families around Barcelona opposed the French candidate to rule. Their defeat brought King Felipe V to the throne and consolidated power in Madrid, fueling an enmity that has smoldered ever since. Decades of political and legal fights to win recognition for their distinct traditions and to promote the use of their language have left many Catalans infuriated. Now they say they’ve finally had enough. The standoff threatens to unravel more than 500 years of Spanish history and is fueling a debate about whether the dismantling of older states is a logical evolution of the European Union.
