Catalonia, spain and the european union: A quest for legitimacy

Abstract

The regional government of the autonomous region of Catalonia and the central government of Spain have started a public conflict in recent years. The situation, originally domestic, has spread internationally in an effort of the regional government to attract external support to their political claims. The EU has become the object of desire of both contenders seeking international legitimacy for their actions. The current research aims to clarify the three-way relations and tries to establish the truth about the different positions held in this conflict.