The Dynamics of Nationalist Evolution in Contemporary Spain

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Spain is arguably the most decentralized polity in Europe, yet devolution has not satisfied even many moderates in the Catalan and Basque nationalist movements. Nationalist parties are coalitions, composed of tendencies and factions identified with different autonomy/independence agendas and torn between temptations to radicalise their demands or to aim for stable territorial accommodation with central government. The project aims to explain shifts in one direction or the other.Much of the literature on the radicalization of nationalist movements emphasizes centre-periphery tensions. This project will inquire additionally into other dynamics: competition between nationalist parties and other party system influences in the Basque and Catalan regions; trans-regional influences in Spain's asymmetrical system of decentralisation encouraging parties to obtain the same or greater powers for their 'autonomous community' as those devolved to other regions; and European/global influences including nationalist experiences in other countries.The prime focus is on two regions where nationalist parties have dominated devolved government for most of the last 30 years and often been key to Spanish government formation/endurance (decisive electoral victories by Spanish parties in general elections having been rare over the last 20 years). While consideration will be given to the impact of the Spanish experience across other European states, Spain is a particularly valuable 'laboratory' because of the high political importance of nationalist parties there and the scope for comparative analysis of the Basque and Catalan cases (differentiated in part by terrorism) regarding the ways in which different dynamics shape political behaviour, thus overcoming a potential shortcoming of the country case study approach: excessive specificity.Extensive use will be made of elite interviews with subjects from Basque and Catalan parties, media coverage of nationalist politics, public opinion surveys and documents outlining party policies and strategies. This material will be analysed qualitatively and comparatively to interpret the positions of parties and internal factions as they have developed over the period, looking throughout for evidence of drivers (towards radicalisation or territorial accommodation) among the dynamics referred to above. The applicant has huge experience of interviewing Spanish politicians, party officials and diplomats and has built research networks involving both other researchers and practitioners in earlier projects. His ease of access to elite subjects is crucial to the attainment of the objectives.Content analysis of documentary sources (party congress documents, media interviews, speeches, articles by nationalist politicians, items on party websites) will be one approach. However, personal interviews will be fundamental as a means of going beyond official positions. Questions will be specific to issues and events in order to discourage over-general responses. By securing several dozen interviews in each region, it will be possible to grasp diversity within as well as between parties; various politicians and officials will be involved from each party. Besides interviewing nationalists, a smaller range of PSOE and PP representatives, along with academic experts and journalists, will be interviewed in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Madrid to obtain third party impressions of trends, motivations and objectives in nationalist parties.To contrast elite positions with the views of nationalists more generally, and to take account of the prevalence of dual identities in the regions concerned, use will be made of existing survey material, obtainable from the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, regional governments and universities. Analysis of trends in public opinion in Catalonia and the Basque Country (Euskadi) will enable comparison to be made between the opinions of nationalist party voters and leade