28-F, Andalusia Day: The PP touches the aggravity anthem against Catalonia | Spain
There is a fixed theme in Andalusia: Catalonia. Recurring from the transition, the cooling of Proces He has not reduced his prominence, which goes to this legislature in the discourse of the PP and the Andalusian government of Juan Manuel Morenowith special emphasis after the arrival of María Jesús Montero to the leadership of the PSOE-A. This week, marked by this Friday, anniversary of the 1980 Autonomist Referendumthe Catalan issue has become omnipresent. The reason? The proposal of the government of autonomic debt removalrejected by the Board despite the fact that the community is Among the most benefited: the amount of the proposal is the largest in absolute terms and, per inhabitant, is equal to those of CataloniaValencian Community, Castilla-La Mancha and Murcia. Before there have been other issues, but the idea of the PP has been invariable: the PSOE aggravates Andalusia for the benefit of Catalonia.
This narrative, which now lives a peak of intensity, is a PP classic. In 2006, with Javier Arenas In front, the party accused the president Manuel Chaves to “bury the dignity of the Andalusians who won the 28-F” for supporting the statute; Now, with Moreno as a leader, he presents María Jesús Montero as a personification of « betrayal. » Already on January 8 when announced his candidacy to lead the PSOE-Athe spokeswoman of the Andalusian government, the popular Carolina Spain, portrayed her as the Minister of Finance that had « betrayed » her land so the PP calls the « Catalan quota. »
Catalonia appears almost in each assessment of Montero's task. Taxes? The PP has accused her of « frying taxes » to the Andalusians while giving Catalonia « fiscal independence. » Minimum wage? When the government approved the risethe PP argued that the minister pays the IRPF to « 95,000 Andaluces » to « benefit Catalonia », since that money will pay her debt. Debt? This week, when Montero has announced a remove equivalent to 2,285 euros per Andaluz —Cifer almost identical to that of Catalonia, 2,284, « the Board has talked about » custom suit « of independence and again » betrayal. » Moreno argues that it only serves to “pay the party of Proces” « Catalonia requested champagne and oysters and the other menu of the house, but the account is paid on a neckline, » he written in X Toni Martín, the PP-A spokesman.
« The grievance discourse has always worked, because it is based on seated stereotypes, » explains the professor of Political Science at the University of Granada Juan Montabes. “PSOE himself used recognition (statutory) obtained before by Catalonia and the Basque Country for Mobilize the electorate on 28-F With the idea of 'not being behind', as I said Rafael Escuredo (First President of the Board). Over time, the socialists modular their speech, because to govern they needed to be strong in Andalusia and in Catalonia. Meanwhile, the PP, although it made assignments to nationalism With José María Aznar, he has opted from the debate on him Statute for sacrificing vote in Catalonia at the expense of winning it outside, included Andalusiaintensifying the grievance speech. ”
Ties and misgivings
Catalonia has been in Andalusian politics a two -sided coin. On the one hand, there has been an exploitation of the sensation of grievance in front of the richest and most influential Catalonia, destination of an Andalusian immigration so massive in the 60s and 70 that Barcelona was known as it was known as « The ninth province ». Such a flow creates ties, but also misgivread. Above all, if there are speeches that facilitate them. In Andalusia, the writings of the young Jordi Pujol on the « anarchic » and « destroyed » Andalusia spend per « at the bar » At the expense of Payés.
But Catalonia has also been for Andalusia Example to follow, explains the historian Javier Tébarthat during the hangover of Proces He participated in an initiative led by the writer Javier Aristu –deceased in 2021– To promote dialogue between both communities. « Both for their search for autonomy and for enjoying a more dynamic economy, » he says, « Andalusian progressive sectors have considered Catalonia an inspiration. » It is a phenomenon rooted in the nineteenth century, when the Andalusian federalist avant -garde identify in Catalonia an ally for their « peripheral vision » against the « dictates of Madrid », forging a connection that extends to the Andalusianism of the twentieth century, from Blas Infante even the manifestations of December 4, 1977which included one in Barcelona, reviews Carlos Arenas, author of The Andalusian: History of a differential fact. « The 4-D was said 'Andalusia, like the one most'. It was not intended to deny anything to Catalonia, but go as far away, ”says the writer Antonio Manuel Rodríguezpatron of the Blas Infante Foundation. The renewal of 2007 Andalusian Statute He also had some imitative reflection of the statute.
Catalonia has never been an easy issue for the PSOE-A. For decades, however, he managed to maintain his balance, presenting himself as guarantor of coffee for all. « What is good for Catalonia must be good for Andalusia, » said Chaves, who along with many other voices of his party managed to embed the stereotype of an official villain and enemy of the progress of Andalusia who did not need to resort to the figure of the insolidary nationalist. Which? The Lord of Right, the one that is spent in Madrid the income he charges in Andalusia. With that he crushed the PP. There is no photo that the party that ruled for 37 years has circulated more than That one of sands shitting the shoes in Madrid.
From the Lord to 'Independic'
The equation changed in the Andalusian elections of 2018. After a campaign with Catalonia turned into the protagonist, the results showed an unprecedented right -wing majority of the PP, CS and Vox, which achieved its electoral emergence after introducing the electorate with a video of its horse leaders. POLICY THINGS: A party that proudly approached the cortijeja image used to stigmatize the PP completed the list that ended socialist hegemony and led Moreno to power.
That right -wing turn, which took place with the debate on for the territorial issue, showed that « the harmony of the Andalusian progressive sectors with Catalonia had been broken over the years, or at least he had weakened, » analyzes Javier Tébar. « In part, » he adds, « for the temporal remoteness of the ties created by emigration. In part, because the Proces It was not mostly seen as a popular movement, but directed by elites, and for which Andalusia used to appear as an example of a subsidized land in contrast to Catalan productivity. ”
Since then, the grievance against Catalonia has been one of the usual ingredients of President Moreno's speech. He Independent Insatiable has replaced the Lord as bad of the ruling party. The PP has thrown the grievance in the debate on financing, but also to accuse the government of postponing Andalusia in favor of Catalonia in matters as disparate as the railway network or dependence. In a full one more than half a year ago, Moreno said that « much » of the « deficiencies » of Andalusia « come from privileges » to other territories.
« Being a mirror in which to reflect aspirations, Catalonia has functioned as a justification for our backwardness, avoiding any self -criticism, » laments the writer Antonio Manuel Rodríguez, who highlights Moreno's « ability » – Moreno –born in Barcelona as the son of emigrants established as merchants upon returning– By raising in his speech the repertoire of Spanish nationalism, « with little tour in Andalusia. » Instead, he adds, Moreno resorts to the « Andalusian symbology »in a way similar to like Alberto Núñez Feijóo moved In Galicism.
Centralism grows
It is not easy to know if a democopic fact is the result of the terms of the political debate, or the debate is an adaptation to the social change detected by the survey. The sure thing is that centralism has grown more in Andalusia than in the whole country. In 2011, before Proces25.9% of the Andalusians defended a state without autonomies or with less decentralized powers, far from 36.3% in Spain. The margin had narrowed in 2018, in the prelude to change in Andalusia: 27.6% compared to 30.8%. In October 2024, after more than five years with the PP in power, the percentage of Andalusians with centralist positions (39.6%) exceeds that of Spain (38.9%).
No poll predicts the loss of Moreno's power, which combines a speech for claiming the management of the PP – despite the fact that the community is last in GDP per capita and first in unemployment rate– With the denunciation of the treatment of favor to Catalonia, an almost recognizable resource as the Blanquiverde flag or the « Andalusians, lifted » from the anthem. The PP chains four victories in Andalusia since 2022, including its absolute majority in the regional and its first triumph in European ones. “We have corrected myopia in Catalonia (where the PSC has recovered primacy) at the expense of developing astigmatism in the rest of Spain, ”says a source of Ferraz with a special view in Andalusia.
