The panel attempted to unpack the history to this crisis, while reflecting on its current incarnation. Does the issue of Catalan independence stem back to the Spanish Constitution of 1978, which awarded the region unprecedented autonomy, or does it have more recent origins? Will the upcoming Catalan regional election lead to further conflict, or is a peaceful, negotiated outcome still possible? And what are the implications of this crisis for Spain, the European Union as well as other secessionist movements around the world?
The participants were:
- Ignasi Guardans, EU Policy and Law Advisor, K&L Gates; Member of the European Parliament for Barcelona (2004-09)
- Sandra León, Senior Lecturer, Department of Politics, University of York
- Ignacio Molina, Senior Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute; Lecturer, Department of Politics and International Relations, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
- Sergi Pardos-Prado, Associate Professor and Official Fellow, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
Chaired by Uta Staiger, Executive Director, UCL European Institute; Pro-Vice-Provost for Europe, UCL.
Tuesday 12 December 2017, 18h. Chatham House, London.