650 years of the Generalitat
Jordi Pujol
Editorial / July 14, 2009
Funding to Catalonia is the dominant issue of late. This is entirely understandable. In fact, we should devote an editorial to this subject. But not today. Today the political parties must have their say. When the right moment arrives, we will address the issue, as far as possible, from the point of view of the country and the public interest. This we will do at the right occasion.
Today, we examine the 650th anniversary of the Catalan Generalitat. And not by way of a distraction. Not with a desire to sidetrack the burning issues with a quaint historical digression that compromises no one.
On the contrary, this is a critical commentary of our Government, our Parliament and our society.
Little has been said about this date. We have enquired about whether it would be marked in any way. To date, we have only been able to ascertain that the Town Council of Cervera has taken the initiative to plan an event. Even the most humble of associations celebrate their centenaries with more enthusiasm, and with more impact. To our mind this seems like a case of severe political and social slothfulness.
We are currently in the midst of debating whether or not the Statute for Autonomy is being fulfilled. Both in broad terms and more specifically in funding. And this is truly a key debate. But we would not be able to discuss this, or we would be demanding more resources from the Ministry of Local Administration just like any other province, without the identity or the historical, political, national or institutional context that we have. Nor would our claims have enough impact or clout to sway the state apparatus. Why is this so?
Because rather than an administrative nature, Catalonia’s claims are political in nature. And also national and institutional. Indeed, even those who are not nationalists, or almost not nationalists, know that what Catalonia is calling for is not solely administrative, but deeply political. And this is symbolised and interpreted at the highest level by the Catalan Generalitat.
The Generalitat was created 650 years ago to undertake various political, social, economic and military functions, but its most important role was to uphold the Constitutions of Catalonia, namely, the rules that safeguarded her autonomy. In short, the Generalitat was a body that made Catalonia not only a region under the authority of the King, but also a political subject with her own personality. And although often the monarchs tried to remove its head, which they occasionally achieved, the country largely remained as it was until 1714.
The movement to revive Catalonia’s identity and her political status – known as Catalan Nationalism or Catalanism- has always demanded the return of her autonomous government. Of the Statute of Autonomy, in today’s terms. Hence, the Statute of 1932 marked the restoration of the institution of the Generalitat. The Statute of 1978 and the one of today, of 2006, represent the historic continuation of the first Generalitat.
This has not only a historicist sense. Between 1359 and 1714, and from 1931 to 1939 and later in exile the institution sustained the continuity of Catalonia’s own political personality, and her uniqueness within the Spanish State. And even when it was banned, the Generalitat stove to defend Catalonia from assimilation and the negation of her reality as a people. And this action allowed Catalonia to preserve her own identity to the present day. This would have been impossible had Catalonia traded in her political and national body that is the Generalitat for an administrative one, such as provincial government. And this explains how, both in 1931-32 and 1977-78, Catalonia made such overtly political claims on her own. No one else in Spain – save the foral governments of the Basque Country and of Navarra- could link her claim with so strong and valid an historical antecedent in the collective memory and feelings as the Generalitat. In other words, the Generalitat has continued and continues to endow Catalonia with a powerful sense of identity, which marks her diversity and difference within Spain as a whole.
It is surprising, therefore, that no one is taking the clear opportunity of this 650-year anniversary to enlighten people about the Generalitat. To present it as our foremost political institution and thus offset the possible risk – and, in fact, the real risk – of the Catalan people viewing it as a purely administrative organ. And we will also miss the chance to place Generalitat in an emotive and patriotic framework.
This calls for something else: the awareness of being a country is also forged with emotions. And the history of the Generalitat has enough of this emotional charge for it not to be neglected in the time we are living, a time of too much confusion and collective weariness to afford to cast aside any of our political, cultural or even sentimental heritage.
On the contrary, this is a critical commentary of our Government, our Parliament and our society.
Little has been said about this date. We have enquired about whether it would be marked in any way. To date, we have only been able to ascertain that the Town Council of Cervera has taken the initiative to plan an event. Even the most humble of associations celebrate their centenaries with more enthusiasm, and with more impact. To our mind this seems like a case of severe political and social slothfulness.
We are currently in the midst of debating whether or not the Statute for Autonomy is being fulfilled. Both in broad terms and more specifically in funding. And this is truly a key debate. But we would not be able to discuss this, or we would be demanding more resources from the Ministry of Local Administration just like any other province, without the identity or the historical, political, national or institutional context that we have. Nor would our claims have enough impact or clout to sway the state apparatus. Why is this so?
Because rather than an administrative nature, Catalonia’s claims are political in nature. And also national and institutional. Indeed, even those who are not nationalists, or almost not nationalists, know that what Catalonia is calling for is not solely administrative, but deeply political. And this is symbolised and interpreted at the highest level by the Catalan Generalitat.
The Generalitat was created 650 years ago to undertake various political, social, economic and military functions, but its most important role was to uphold the Constitutions of Catalonia, namely, the rules that safeguarded her autonomy. In short, the Generalitat was a body that made Catalonia not only a region under the authority of the King, but also a political subject with her own personality. And although often the monarchs tried to remove its head, which they occasionally achieved, the country largely remained as it was until 1714.
The movement to revive Catalonia’s identity and her political status – known as Catalan Nationalism or Catalanism- has always demanded the return of her autonomous government. Of the Statute of Autonomy, in today’s terms. Hence, the Statute of 1932 marked the restoration of the institution of the Generalitat. The Statute of 1978 and the one of today, of 2006, represent the historic continuation of the first Generalitat.
This has not only a historicist sense. Between 1359 and 1714, and from 1931 to 1939 and later in exile the institution sustained the continuity of Catalonia’s own political personality, and her uniqueness within the Spanish State. And even when it was banned, the Generalitat stove to defend Catalonia from assimilation and the negation of her reality as a people. And this action allowed Catalonia to preserve her own identity to the present day. This would have been impossible had Catalonia traded in her political and national body that is the Generalitat for an administrative one, such as provincial government. And this explains how, both in 1931-32 and 1977-78, Catalonia made such overtly political claims on her own. No one else in Spain – save the foral governments of the Basque Country and of Navarra- could link her claim with so strong and valid an historical antecedent in the collective memory and feelings as the Generalitat. In other words, the Generalitat has continued and continues to endow Catalonia with a powerful sense of identity, which marks her diversity and difference within Spain as a whole.
It is surprising, therefore, that no one is taking the clear opportunity of this 650-year anniversary to enlighten people about the Generalitat. To present it as our foremost political institution and thus offset the possible risk – and, in fact, the real risk – of the Catalan people viewing it as a purely administrative organ. And we will also miss the chance to place Generalitat in an emotive and patriotic framework.
This calls for something else: the awareness of being a country is also forged with emotions. And the history of the Generalitat has enough of this emotional charge for it not to be neglected in the time we are living, a time of too much confusion and collective weariness to afford to cast aside any of our political, cultural or even sentimental heritage.
