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Galician nationalism

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BERJAYA
Mural in honor of Xosé Ramón Reboiras in Ferrol, shot dead by the police in 1975. The Galician estreleira flag is visible.

Galician nationalism (Galician: nacionalismo galego) is a political and social movement in Galicia that advocates for the cultural unity and recognition of Galicia as a distinct nation and asserts the right of the Galician people to self-determination. The movement asserts that Galicia possesses a unique identity, rooted in its own historical development, language, and culture, which stands in contrast to the centralism of the Spanish state.

Modern Galician nationalism originated in the early 20th century, evolving from the broader movement known as Galicianism (Galician: galeguismo). It consolidated as an organized political force with the founding of the Irmandades da Fala in 1916. Throughout the 20th century, the movement has encompassed a spectrum of ideologies, ranging from moderate autonomism to calls for full sovereignty, notably represented by figures such as Vicente Risco and Castelao, and organizations like the Partido Galeguista.

History

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Origins

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The concept of Galicianism first appeared in the mid-nineteenth century. At that time in history it was initially known as "provincialism". Soon it was referred to as regionalism. This was a reaction to the increased centralization of the Spanish State (following the French model of nation-state) which attempted to eradicate internal administrative, and to some point cultural, differences within the country.

The term Galicianism as such was coined after the establishment of the Irmandades da Fala (Brotherhoods of the Galician Language), in 1916, and the apparition of modern Galician nationalism. The Irmandades da Fala was an organization hosting members from both the lower-middle-class and intellectuals. This organization was led by Antón Vilar Ponte. Within the next decade (1920s), this organization was strengthened by two groups: the nationalists, led by the Partido Galeguista (Galicianist Party) of Castelao, and the federalist republicans of ORGA. ORGA was directed by Santiago Casares and Antón Vilar.

Republic and civil war

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BERJAYA
Pro-Galician autonomy poster by Díaz Baliño (1936)

In 1931, with the coming of the Spanish Second Republic, a number of drafts for a Statute of Autonomy were prepared by the Galicianists. The final version was approved in December 1932 at the Municipal Assembly of the Galician capital, Santiago de Compostela. The Statute of Autonomy was approved by referendum on 28 June 1936, and later ratified by the Spanish Parliament in 1937. However, the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship put an end to the prospect of autonomy. At the end of the war (1939) many Galicianists were either executed or had to leave for exile.

The Francoist period

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BERJAYA
The Galician statute of autonomy of 1936 (pdf).

The foundation of the Editorial Galaxia in 1950, publishing house promoting Galician culture and Galician language, was a visible act of resistance. Clandestine organizations supporting the cause of Marxism (as an opposition to the dictator) flourished in the 1950s and 1960s following the example of Editorial Galaxia and taking advantage of a timid relaxation of the dictatorial regime. Those new organizations and movements openly labelled themselves as nationalist, seeing themselves as the natural heirs of the early Galicianists (for example the Galician People's Union (UPG) was founded by some old Galicianists among other new members). All those organizations would claim Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao's classic work, Sempre en Galiza (1944), as the ideological cornerstone for Galician contemporary nationalism and even for their own foundational principles.

Contemporary Period

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With the end of the dictatorship in 1975 and the passing of a new constitution in 1978, Galicianism was further strengthened up to the point that today the vast majority of political forces in Galicia call themselves Galicianist, whether they are nationalist or not, left wing or right wing.

For example, unlike in other Spanish autonomous communities, the conservative People's Party of Galicia includes Galicianism (seen as strong regionalism) as one of its ideological principles.[1] Even the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party has a strong regional flavour in Galicia,[2][3] not to mention the actual main Galician nationalist party, the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG). A possible explanation for this is that Galician identity is so embedded in Galicians that any political party willing to participate in elections must at least show some degree of interest in the promotion of Galicianism, but it may range greatly, from moderate regionalism to outright claims for independence.

Ideology

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BERJAYA
The Estreleira flag, also called Bandeira da Pátria.

Historians, geographers and ethnologists recognize the existence of a Galician ethnic group, forming a singular unit in a specific territory.[4][failed verification] However, this is a wide conceptualization that in political terms allows many possible variants. Inside Galician nationalism two main ideological currents can be found:

Both autonomists and independentists have points in common, such as the defence and promotion of Galician culture and language, with some[who?] supporting reintegrationism.[citation needed] Both also argue for the official and unequivocal recognition of Galicia as a nation and the defense of Galician speakers outside administrative Galician territory, in Galician-speaking areas of the Spanish regions of Asturias and Castile and León (Galicia irredenta).

It is often considered that the ideological framework of contemporary Galician nationalism was set in Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao's key work Sempre em Galiza (lit. "Always in Galicia"), published in 1944.

Political nationalism in society

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BERJAYA
Galician nationalist graffiti on a roadsign marking the Portugal–Spain border, translated as "Spain is not Galicia"

Galician nationalist candidates received 19% of the vote in the elections of 2005 and 16% in 2009.

From 2005 to 2009 Galicia was ruled by a coalition government between the Socialists' Party of Galicia (PSdeG-PSOE) and the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG). Unlike in other Spanish autonomous communities the conservative and pro-Spanish People's Party of Galicia (PPdeG) includes Galicianism as one of its ideological principles.[5] Even the Spanish Socialist Party has a quite strong regional flavour in Galicia.[6][7] This issue somehow explains electoral behaviour in Galicia and why nationalist parties have a reduced representation when compared to Catalonia and the Basque Country, as voters in Galicia may choose to go for Spanish parties promoting Galicianism depending on the circumstances. Spanish parties in Catalonia and the Basque Country do not have such a strong regional identity, but the Socialist Party in Catalonia has recently incorporated nationalist elements in its political discourse.

A possible explanation for this political behaviour in pro-Spanish parties is that Galician identity is so embedded in Galicians that any political party willing to participate in elections must at least show some degree of interest in the promotion of Galicianism, but how it is done may vary greatly.

The Galician Nationalist Bloc is itself a coalition of parties, which endorse independence, but not all individual members and parallel organizations within it support that idea.[8] At present, BNG claims for sovereignty and independence, both political and economic. Other nationalist parties stand for outright independence, and until recently they only had representatives in local councils and not in the Galician Parliament. In the 2012 election the newly formed Galician Left Alternative, which includes pro-independence groups, overtook the BNG in Parliament, winning 9 seats.

The present Galician Statute of Autonomy (1981) defines Galicia as a nationality. The Galician Government is currently drafting a new Statute of Autonomy where Galicia will most probably be defined as a nation (with declaratory but not legal value).[9]

According to a survey conducted by the CIS in 2020, 80.2% of Galicians are in favor of remaining part of the Spanish state, and 65.2% identify as both Galician and Spanish.[10][11]

Nationalist political parties and nationalist organizations

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See also

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References

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  • Beramendi, J. and Núñez Seixas, X.M. (1996): O nacionalismo galego, A Nosa Terra, Vigo.
  • Beswicj, J.E. (2007): Regional Nationalism in Spain: Language use and ethnic identity in Galicia, Multilingual Matters
  • García-Álvarez, J. (1998): "Substate nation-building and geographical representations of 'The Other' in Galicia, Spain (1860-1936)" Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, in Finisterra, no. 33, issue 65, p. 117-128.
  • Fernández Baz, M.A., (2003): A formación do nacionalismo galego contemporáneo (1963-1984), Laiovento.
  • Núñez Seixas, X.M.(1993): Historiographical approaches to nationalism in Spain, Saarbrücken, Breitenbach.
  • Núñez Seixas, X.M.(1999): "Autonomist regionalism within the spanish state of the Autonomous Communities: an interpretation", in Nationalism & ethnic politics, vol. 5, no. 3-4, p. 121-141. Frank Cass, Ilford.
  • Rios Bergantinhos, N. (2002): A esquerda independentista galega (1977-1995), Abrente Editora, Compostela.
  • Rodríguez Polo, X.R. (2009): O triunfo do galeguismo. Opinión pública, partidos políticos e comportamento electoral na transición autonómica, Xerais, Vigo.

Notes

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  1. ↑ Facsimile discussing PP's galeguidade ("Galicianness"), by Frans Schrijver
  2. ↑ "Galician President Pérez Touriño commenting Galicianism, from newspaper A Nosa Terra". Archived from the original on 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
  3. ↑ Galician President Pérez Touriño (PSdG) discussing Galicianism, from online newspaper Xornal.com
  4. ↑ Map from Eurominority depicting European national minorities Archived 2008-09-17 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Facsimile discussing PP's galeguidade ("Galicianness"), by Frans Schrijver
  6. ↑ "Galician President Pérez Touriño commenting Galicianism, from newspaper A Nosa Terra". Archived from the original on 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
  7. ↑ Galician President Pérez Touriño (PSdG) discussing Galicianism, from online newspaper Xornal.com[link removed]
  8. ↑ Members of BNG's internal organization Movemento Pola Base displaying a banner where "Independence and Socialism" can be read
  9. ↑ Discussion on the reform of the Statute. Official site hosted by the Parliament of Galicia Archived September 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ SANZ@Luis_Angel_SanzMadrid, LUIS ÁNGEL (2020-10-07). "Más del 62% de los vascos y el 80% de los gallegos rechazan la independencia de sus comunidades". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-07-16.
  11. ↑ elplural.com (2020-10-08). "El 40% de los gallegos no votaría al PP y la mayoría nunca lo haría a Vox". El Plural (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-07-16.
  12. ↑ "¿Existe Resistencia Galega o es un bulo de Gobierno?". 9 April 2014.
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