Separatism and Identity: A comparative analysis of the Basque and Catalan cases

Regionally-based nationalist parties are a normal part of political processes but at times, the separatist goal surfaces in an overt effort to secede. We study what issues are activated in voters' preferences when responding to separatist efforts. We examine this question through a careful, analytical comparison of the Catalan and Basque regions of Spain during the period 1998-2016. We exploit the fact that these two regions are comparable in their histories and political systems, yet the Basques pushed to leave Spain in the early 2000s and the Catalans pursued independence about fiteen years later. We find that secessionist efforts by regionally-based parties have been reflected as a rise in language-based identity politics. In this regard, we find strong evidence supporting that secession and separatism is rooted in identity politics, rather than economic discontent or political ideologies.