Les périphéries espagnoles après 1978: Catalyseurs de l’intégration européenne?

Abstract

Since 1978 and the return to democracy, Spain’s three main peripheral spaces from a linguistic, cultural point of view (Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia) have been constantly trying to get more and more autonomy from the central Spanish state. As regiones históricas (“historical regions”), they claim more competences than those enjoyed by other comunidades autónomas. That is particularly spectacular in the case of the Basque Country and Catalonia. From that perspective, belonging to the European Union was long perceived as an essential element in order to act without the Spanish state’s permission in the field of public policies. Therefore it was seen as a clearly beneficial political commitment. At a time when identities often clash in new ways, it is necessary to wonder whether those Spanish peripheral spaces go on playing such a role of catalysts of European integration.