Catalonia and the ‘Idea of Europe’

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Abstract
This paper focuses upon the region (nation) of Catalonia, Spain and in particular upon the ways in which Catalan political parties have ‘Europeanized’ their discourse, viewing Europe both as an alternative institutional channel to promote their objectives and as an example to follow of socioeconomic and political modernization. After reviewing some of the reasons that account for the increased importance of subnationalism in the EU, the paper considers the contours of the Catalan political system. Following this there is a detailed discussion of the ways in which the main political parties in Catalonia employ the issue of European integration in their political rhetoric. By way of conclusion, the paper considers the differing reasons behind each of the parties’ position on Catalonia’s role within the process of European integration.