The Differences Between Catalonia and Spain

A Quick Note Before We Start

Before I dive in, I want to be clear about the perspective this post is written from. What you're about to read is my personal point of view, shaped by being born and growing up in Catalonia.

I'm a computer engineer by trade, not a historian. While I'll touch on historical context, my account will naturally be that of a citizen rather than a scholar. A professional historian would be far more qualified to offer a complete, academic explanation.

My goal here is simply to answer a question I was asked: "What are the differences?", from my own experience.

A Note on "Feeling the Difference"

In the social media thread that inspired this post, some people from abroad commented that they had lived in both Madrid and Catalonia and couldn't feel any difference. I completely understand why it might seem that way from the outside.

Cultural and political realities are often invisible until you're fully immersed in them. The deepest differences don't show up in the tourist or expat experiences; they appear when you live the day-to-day life of a local. It's one thing to live in Barcelona as an expat speaking Spanish or English, but it's another thing entirely to be a Catalan who is sometimes attacked or belittled by Spanish people for speaking your own native language. That’s a political reality a short-term visitor would likely never encounter.

I can relate to this from my own life. I've been living in Japan for over 20 years, but I know very little about the nuances of the Japanese political context and what the different parties stand for. You can live in a place for a long time and only scratch the surface of its civic and political identity.

The differences I'm about to explain might not be obvious from a distance, but for us, they are fundamental.

A Different History

To understand Catalonia today, you have to look back centuries. The difference isn't a recent development; it's rooted in a distinct history.

• Ancient Roots: Long before Spain existed as a unified country, Catalonia was a self-governing entity, the Principality of Catalonia within the Crown of Aragon. We had our own parliament (the Generalitat, one of the oldest in Europe), our own laws, and our own language. This ended in 1714, after the War of the Spanish Succession, when the victorious Bourbon king abolished our institutions. For Catalans, this date isn't just ancient history; it represents a loss of sovereignty that has defined our relationship with Spain ever since.

• A Distinct Legal System: This history as a separate state is visible even today. Catalonia has its own Civil Code, rooted in its historical laws, that governs aspects of life like inheritance and family law differently from the Spanish Civil Code. It’s a tangible remnant of a time when we had a fully separate legal and political structure.
• A Merchant and Naval Tradition: For centuries, Catalonia was a major maritime power in the Mediterranean. Our identity was forged through trade, commerce, and a connection to Europe and the wider world, not in the imperial, land-based conquests that defined Castile and later, Spain. This outward-looking, commercial character is a deep part of our identity.
• 20th Century Repression: This repression didn't begin with Franco. During the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923-1930), Catalan institutions were dissolved, and the public use of the Catalan flag and anthem was forbidden. This set a precedent for the even harsher repression that would follow. During the long dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939-1975), our identity was systematically attacked. The Catalan language was banned from schools and public life, our institutions were abolished again, and expressing our culture was a crime. To crush political dissent, Franco's regime used a special political court, the Tribunal de Orden Público (TOP). After Franco died, during the transition to democracy, this court was not abolished; in 1977, it was simply renamed the Audiencia Nacional, and it keeps operating to this day. This detail is crucial for understanding events today.

Cultural and Social Differences

One of the people who commented said they felt the "same vibes" in Barcelona and Madrid. But if you know what to look for, the cultural fabric is profoundly different.

• Social Character (Seny i Rauxa): A core concept of the Catalan character is the balance between seny (prudence, common sense, discipline) and rauxa (passion, spontaneity). You see seny in our reputation for being hard-working and business-minded. You also see it in one of our most unique traditions: the castellers, or human towers, which require immense planning, teamwork, and balance. It's the physical manifestation of a community working together with discipline and a common goal.

• Distinct Traditions: Our public life is marked by traditions that you won't find elsewhere in Spain. We don't have flamenco; we have the sardana, a communal circle dance. Our most beloved holiday is arguably Sant Jordi (St. George's Day) on April 23rd, when we exchange books and roses, a beautiful celebration of culture and love. And our Christmas traditions include the quirky Caga Tió, a log that "poops" out presents for children.

• Artistic Heritage: Catalonia has been the cradle of groundbreaking artistic movements. The architecture of Barcelona is defined by Modernisme, our version of Art Nouveau, with Antoni Gaudí as its most famous figure. It was also a homeland for surrealist geniuses like Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. This creative spirit is a key part of our cultural output.

• Societal Values: Generally speaking, Catalan society is one of the most secular and progressive in Southern Europe. The influence of the Catholic Church is far less pronounced here than in many other parts of Spain, and public life is driven by a more secular, civic-minded way of thinking.

Language and the Public Sphere

While language is the most obvious difference, its implications run deep.

• Bilingualism as the Norm: The vast majority of Catalans are natively bilingual, switching effortlessly between Catalan and Spanish. It's also very common to speak a third language, like English or French. This is not the case in much of Spain, where monolingualism is more common. This isn't about being better; it’s about a different reality shaped by the need to preserve our own language while living within the Spanish state.
• Media Landscape: For decades, our public broadcasters, TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio, were vital for protecting and normalizing the Catalan language. They provided news, entertainment, and children's programming in our own language, creating a distinct public sphere. However, it's crucial to note that many Catalans feel this independence has eroded, with the media now heavily influenced by the agendas of Spanish political parties.

• Modern Day Friction: Unfortunately, being Catalan can still lead to mistreatment. It’s not uncommon to be met with hostility in other parts of Spain for speaking Catalan, or to be the target of stereotypes: that we are greedy, insular, or separatists. This friction is a part of our daily reality. Even today, addressing the Spanish police in Catalan in regions where Catalan is an official language does often result in punishment or heavy fines.

Modern Political and Economic Conflict

The current political situation is tense, but it’s the result of a long history of political and economic disagreements.

• Divergent Priorities: There's often a mismatch in what our governments prioritize. A prime example is the Mediterranean Corridor (Corredor Mediterrani), a crucial European Union railway project designed to connect the main ports and industrial areas of the Mediterranean coast (including Catalonia) with the rest of Europe. This corridor follows the path of highest population density and economic output, making it vital for our exports and economy. However, from our perspective, the Spanish central government has consistently delayed and underfunded this project for decades. Instead, it has promoted a Central Corridor (Corredor Central), a vastly more expensive and technically difficult alternative that would cross the Pyrenees through a new tunnel. This reflects a classic centralist mindset: prioritizing a radial infrastructure model where everything must pass through Madrid, even when it defies economic and logistical common sense. For us, the struggle over these two corridors is a clear example of how Spain's political priorities often hinder Catalonia's economic potential.
• Terra d'Acollida (A Welcoming Land): After the Spanish Civil War, much of Spain was devastated and impoverished. Catalonia, with its industrial base, was a relatively prosperous region. This created a massive wave of internal migration, where people from all over Spain, especially poorer regions like Andalusia and Galicia, moved to Catalonia to find work and build a new life. My own family is a product of this: my mother’s family came from Andalusia, and my father’s from Galicia. This influx of people, known as the "new Catalans," shaped the modern, diverse, and hardworking society we have today. It's one of the reasons why Catalonia is mostly pro-immigration, while most of Spain is against it.

• Economic Disparity: Catalonia has long been an economic engine of Spain and one of the most developed regions in Southern Europe. This creates a significant economic imbalance, where Catalans often feel that we contribute far more in taxes to the central government than we receive back in services and investment, a concept often referred to as a "fiscal deficit."

• Recent History of Conflict: The last two decades have been especially turbulent. In 2006, a new Statute of Autonomy (Estatut) approved by the Catalan people was severely cut down by Spain's Constitutional Court. This sparked massive protests in 2010. Frustration grew, leading to a non-binding independence plebiscite in 2014 and a full-fledged Independence Referendum on October 1, 2017. The Spanish government declared the referendum illegal and used riot police to violently suppress it, with images of the repression spreading worldwide. In the aftermath, Catalan political and cultural leaders were prosecuted. It is deeply significant that these cases were handled by the Spanish Supreme Court and the Audiencia Nacional, the very same institution that, as mentioned earlier, is the direct successor to Franco's political tribunal, the TOP. For many Catalans, this was not a sign of justice, but a continuation of historical political repression, leading to a deep crisis that remains unresolved.

There is, of course, much more context to all of this, but this post is already quite long. I want to leave you with one final thought. I understand that nearly every country has regional differences, different local foods, traditions, or dialects. The key distinction here, and what I hope this post has made clear, is that the case of Catalonia and Spain goes much, much deeper.

This isn't about local flavor. It's about a distinct history as a self-governing nation, a different language, a unique social and legal tradition, and a political conflict that has shaped our identity for centuries. These are not simply regional variations; they are the markers of a different national consciousness.

Photo credits

• Featured photo by Castellers de Vilafranca (Flickr)
• Sardana and Sant Jordi photos: Wikimedia Commons