Pro-independence Movements in the Basque Country and Catalunya

Catalunya and the Basque Country are European stateless nations like many others that are seeking independence and want to create their own republics because “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another . . .” they have the right to pursue freedom. As in 1776 in America, there are many politicians in Europe today that hold that these truths are self-evident. This book gives response to one of the first questions that arise when approaching the debate on the independence of these stateless nations given that the Basque Country and Catalunya are wealthy and prosperous lands, plentiful, and with living standards above the European’s average: If people live well, why do they seek independence? The many origins, causes, and complex essence of the pro-independence movements are rooted in a distant history. The quest for independence of these stateless nations are not brief but ancient chapters in the course of human history. It is not a mere question of interests, but a matter of individual and collective identity.