The rise of secessionism in Catalonia has emerged out of the will to decide the region’s political destiny as a nation

Will Catalonia secede from Spain? Montserrat Guibernau explores why many Catalonians now hope that it might. She argues that Catalonia’s subsidization of less affluent regions, which leaves the region worse off, is a major root of discontent

Nations Without States: Political Communities in the Global Age

The nation has become one of the most contested concepts of our times. The multifarious definitions of the nation focus on cultural, political, psychological, territorial, ethnic, and sociological principles according to different scholars, politicians, and political activists willing to shed some light into such a disputed term. Their lack of agreement suggests a major difficulty in dealing with such a complex phenomenon. The crux of the matter probably resides close to the link which has been established between nation and State, and to the common practice of using the nation as a source of political legitimacy. To be or not to be recognized as a nation entails different rights for the community which claims to be one, since being a nation usually implies the attachment to a particular territory, a shared culture and history, and the vindication of the right to self-determination. To define a specific community as a nation involves the more or less explicit acceptance of the legitimacy of the State which claims to represent it, or, if the nation does not posses a State of its own, it then implicitly acknowledges the nation\u27s right to self-government involving some degree of political autonomy which may or may not lead to a claim for independence

The only solution to the Catalan question is to recognise that Catalonia is a separate demos capable of deciding its own future

A non-binding consultation on Catalan independence was held on 9 November, with over 80 per cent of those voting indicating that they would like Catalonia to be independent. Montserrat Guibernau argues that while there is still some uncertainty over what the legal consequences of the vote will be, the people of Catalonia have made it clear that they should have the right to choose their future status in an official referendum

Nations Without States: Political Communities in the Global Age

The nation has become one of the most contested concepts of our times. The multifarious definitions of the nation focus on cultural, political, psychological, territorial, ethnic, and sociological principles according to different scholars, politicians, and political activists willing to shed some light into such a disputed term. Their lack of agreement suggests a major difficulty in dealing with such a complex phenomenon. The crux of the matter probably resides close to the link which has been established between nation and State, and to the common practice of using the nation as a source of political legitimacy. To be or not to be recognized as a nation entails different rights for the community which claims to be one, since being a nation usually implies the attachment to a particular territory, a shared culture and history, and the vindication of the right to self-determination. To define a specific community as a nation involves the more or less explicit acceptance of the legitimacy of the State which claims to represent it, or, if the nation does not posses a State of its own, it then implicitly acknowledges the nation\u27s right to self-government involving some degree of political autonomy which may or may not lead to a claim for independence

Reply to Annika Tahvanainen

A reply to Annika Tahvanainen\u27s comment on Professor Montserrat Guibernau\u27s Nations Without States: Political Communities in the Global Ag

Understanding Euroscepticism: how British hostility to the EU contrasts with opposition elsewhere in Europe

The UK’s referendum on EU membership may well be one of the main stories of 2016, with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, recently suggesting that it could be held as early as the summer. Montserrat Guibernau writes on how we can conceive of Euroscepticism in both the UK and other EU countries. She writes that understanding Euroscepticism requires an account of a range of different elements, including identity, attitudes toward globalisation, and responses to diversity within nation states

Catalonia has taken the first step toward becoming a new nation in the EU

What does the result of the Catalan elections on 27 September mean for the future of Catalonia and Spain? Montserrat Guibernau argues that the election result grants the legitimacy required for pro-independence parties to bring about a legally binding referendum on Catalan independence. Nevertheless she writes that the independence movement will face a number of challenges in implementing their roadmap for secession from Spain, including the need to maintain unity between pro-independence parties and the rise of Ciudadanos