The Struggle for Catalonia

Resumen del libro

Every year on 11 September, Catalonia celebrates its Diada, its National Day. But the Diada of 2012 was like none other, as an enormous crowd calling for Catalan independence took over the heart of Barcelona.
Despite the carnival-like atmosphere that day, the people were very serious about their demands. On the back of this show of force, Catalonia's governing politicians turned secessionist claims into a new eadache for a government in Madrid that had only just survived a near-meltdown of Spain's financial system.
Four years later, the separatist challenge has neither come to fruition, nor faded away. This book looks at how and why Catalan separatism reached the top of Spain's political agenda, as well as its connection to the broader European malaise generated by flawed political responses to financial and other crises.
Through extensive travel and reporting, as well as dozens of interviews with leading Catalan personalities, Raphael Minder explains how Catalans feel about their economy, history and culture, and how secessionist forces have tried to reshape Catalan identity.

Biografía del autor

Raphael Minder (Ginebra, 1971) ejerce de periodista desde 1993. Desde 2010 es corresponsal en Madrid para The New York Times. Escribe sobre la crisis financiera, los problemas políticos, incluyendo el independentismo en Cataluña, y muchos otros sucesos de España y Portugal, tanto sociales como deportivos y culturales.