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 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. Selected PublicationsAsymmetry as a Device for Equal Recognition and Reasonable Accommodation of Majority and Minority Nations. A Country Study on Constitutional Asymmetry in SpainThe Political Use of de facto Referendums of Independence The Case of CataloniaDefensive Federalism: Protecting Territorial Minorities from the "Tyranny of the Majority"The Exodus That Never Was? An Empirical Analysis on Territorial Conflict and Foot-VotingThe Politics of Independence Referendums: Never Mind the BallotsChapters00:00 Introduction01:50 Constitutional Status of Catalonia05:21 Identity and Demography in Catalonia08:15 Distribution of Competences11:46 The Future of Catalan Autonomy16:10 “Unity of Foreign Action” in Spanish Constitutional Law and Its Constraints on Regional Diplomacy21:04 Coordination and Tension between Catalonia’s External Action and Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs23:39 Catalonia and the European Union29:40 International Agreements and Catalonia’s Network of External Delegations33:53 Catalonia’s Interaction with International Organisations and Multilateral Forums37:51 The 2017 Independence Referendum and Article 15544:21 Emerging Research Agendas in the Study of Catalonia’s AutonomyFollow & Further ResourcesSubstack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theirthinker/X: https://x.com/theirthinkerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theirthinker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.