Catalan Sovereignty in Practice

The document examines the rise of the Catalan independence movement and the 2014 non-binding referendum, arguing that the event was a performance of 'simulated sovereignty' because it lacked legal recognition and resulted in judicial action by the Spanish state. It details the historical, economic, and political drivers of the movement, the results of the 2014 vote, and the subsequent political polarization leading toward a planned 2017 referendum.

• The authors characterize the 9 November 2014 Catalan referendum as a 'performance of simulated sovereignty' because it was not grounded in a recognized political process and was deemed illegal by Spanish authorities.
• Support for Catalan independence grew significantly over time; while slightly above 10% of the population favored independence a decade prior to the paper's writing, by November 2014, nearly 80% of Catalans supported holding a referendum on self-determination.
• Economic grievances drive the independence movement, specifically the perception that the Spanish central government under-invests in Catalonia despite the region representing approximately 20% of Spain's GDP, leading to the slogan 'Espanya ens roba' (Spain steals from us).
• The 2014 referendum resulted in 2,305,290 votes cast according to the Catalan government, with 80.8% supporting the 'Yes–Yes' option (wanting Catalonia to become a state and for that state to be independent).
• The Spanish state exercised 'real sovereignty' following the 2014 vote by initiating legal action against Catalan President Artur Mas and two counsellors for organizing the illegal referendum.
• Political polarization in Catalonia increased following the 2014 referendum, with the September 2015 elections centering on a single fault line of independence versus remaining in Spain, resulting in pro-independence parties (Junts pel Si and CUP) capturing 48% of the votes.

APA

Alcalde, J., & Aguiar, P. (n.d.). Catalan Sovereignty in Practice. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/24b65e08-c26c-49e6-a6fa-4275c12a0639/Alcalde Aguiar - Catalan Sovereignty in Practice PRIO Paper 2017.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Alcalde, Javier, and Pablo Aguiar. Catalan Sovereignty in Practice. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/24b65e08-c26c-49e6-a6fa-4275c12a0639/Alcalde Aguiar - Catalan Sovereignty in Practice PRIO Paper 2017.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Alcalde |first1=Javier |last2=Aguiar |first2=Pablo |title=Catalan Sovereignty in Practice |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/24b65e08-c26c-49e6-a6fa-4275c12a0639/Alcalde Aguiar - Catalan Sovereignty in Practice PRIO Paper 2017.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alcaldendcatalan, author = {Alcalde, Javier and Aguiar, Pablo}, title = {{Catalan Sovereignty in Practice}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/24b65e08-c26c-49e6-a6fa-4275c12a0639/Alcalde Aguiar - Catalan Sovereignty in Practice PRIO Paper 2017.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }