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Politics of Identity: Nationalism(s) in Modern Spain
Cameron J. Watson

DESCRIPTION: The Catalan independence referendum of October 2017 drew international attention to the issue of contested national identity in Spain. This national question, I suggest, has deep historical roots and has been ever present since the birth of the modern Spanish state. Indeed, I will show how much of modern Spanish history can be viewed through the lens of competing national identities. Returning to the one – year anniversary of the Catalan vote, my principal contention is that a combination of processes within the last decade – the end of ETA’s violent campaign for Basque independence, the shift in Catalan nationalism to more pro-independence positions, and the rebranding of Spanish nationalism – heralds a potential transformation in Spanish politics and the end of the consensus associated with the post-Franco transition to democracy.

ABOUT Cameron J. Watson: received a PhD in Basque Studies (History) from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), where he subsequently taught in the Department of History. He then relocated to the Basque Country, where he taught at the University of the Basque Country, Mondragon University, and the University of Deusto. At the same time, he was an instructor for study abroad programs affiliated with UNR, the University of Washington, and the University of Delaware. He has a longstanding connection with the Center for Basque Studies at UNR, for whom he is a senior editor for its press. He is the author of several books and articles, including Modern Basque History (2003) and Basque Nationalism and Political Violence (2007).