Resumen de Spanish Nationalism Since 1975
Most Spaniards, including many intellectuals and influential public figures, have no difficulty claiming Spain is a multicultural and historical nation. However, to its defenders, this affirmation seems to fall entirely outside the category of nationalism, and instead lie in the realms of constitutional loyalty. In this chapter, the thesis is maintained that Spanish nationalist and patriotic discourse has existed and exists even more today, stimulated by the challenge posed by Catalan secessionism. Various Spanish nationalist discourses coexist and vie for hegemony, although they share a set of basic presuppositions. Amongst these is the indivisibility of sovereignty and the conviction that the Spanish political community rests on earlier historical and cultural foundations. However, regardless of divisions between right and left, all variants accept or defend the 1978 Constitution as a legitimate basis for maintaining the political and territorial unity of Spain, as well as its definition as a nation.
