A trip through the corridors of power: the evolution of the regional debate in Catalonia

The regional debate has occupied a pre‑eminent place in political discussions in Catalonia for several years and both citizens and the political class have been engaged in fierce debate on the subject. Moves towards independence in Catalonia and the demands made by other parts of Spain have shaken up the national and regional issue and forced political parties to take positions and come up with proposals for accommodating demands for a pluri‑national state and for regional decentralisation. This paper gives a perspective on how citizens and parties have changed their positions on Catalonia as a region and as a nation. Through the analysis of survey data and parties’ manifesto proposals, we show the size of the political changes and the direction they have taken. The paper ends by setting out future scenarios for Spain’s regional model and the main points of agreement and of disagreement among the various players.