Catalonia's Quest for Self-Government Explained — Marc Sanjaume-Calvet
In this interview, political scientist Marc Sanjaume‑Calvet examines the constitutional status of Catalonia, the distribution of powers within the Spanish state, and the evolving debates surrounding Catalan autonomy and identity. The discussion also explores Catalonia’s external action, from its relations with the European Union and international organisations to the constraints imposed by Spanish constitutional law, including the legacy of the 2017 referendum and Article 155. Marc Sanjaume-Calvet Marc Sanjaume-Calvet is Associate Professor of Political Science at Pompeu Fabra University. He has also served as an advisor at the Self-Government Studies Institute, a research centre linked to the Government of Catalonia. His work sits at the crossroads of federalism, self-determination, and territorial conflict, with broader interests in national and ethnic conflicts. Publications: Asymmetry as a Device for Equal Recognition and Reasonable Accommodation of Majority and Minority Nations. A Country Study on Constitutional Asymmetry in Spain The Political Use of de facto Referendums of Independence The Case of Catalonia Defensive Federalism: Protecting Territorial Minorities from the "Tyranny of the Majority" The Exodus That Never Was? An Empirical Analysis on Territorial Conflict and Foot-Voting The Politics of Independence Referendums: Never Mind the Ballots Content 00:00 – Introduction 01:50 – Constitutional Status of Catalonia 05:21 – Identity and Demography in Catalonia 08:15 – Distribution of Competences 11:46 – The Future of Catalan Autonomy 16:10 – “Unity of Foreign Action” in Spanish Constitutional Law and Its Constraints on Regional Diplomacy 21:04 – Coordination and Tension between Catalonia’s External Action and Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23:39 – Catalonia and the European Union 29:40 – International Agreements and Catalonia’s Network of External Delegations 33:53 – Catalonia’s Interaction with International Organisations and Multilateral Forums 37:51 – The 2017 Independence Referendum and Article 155 44:21 – Emerging Research Agendas in the Study of Catalonia’s Autonomy Follow & Further Resources Substack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/ X: https://x.com/irthinker_ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.