Spanish unionism

Spanish unionism is a term used by the Basque nationalism and Catalan independence movements to refer to the political attitude which opposes the Catalan independence movement[1] and favours the continuity of the Kingdom of Spain as a single united nation-state.

Spain
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Spain
Constitution Constitution Constitutional Court President Juan José González Rivas Vice President María Encarnación Roca Trías Constitutional history Spanish transition to democracy Human rights Taxation Law Abortion Nationality Capital punishment Life imprisonment
The Crown Royal Household Monarch King Felipe VI Heir presumptive The Princess of Asturias Royal family Succession to the Spanish throne
Executive Government of the Nation Prime Minister (list) Pedro Sánchez Deputy Prime Minister (list) Carmen Calvo Council of Ministers Sánchez I Government Sánchez II Government Ministries Government Delegations Government Delegated Committees Interministerial Committees Council of State Economic and Social Council
Legislature Cortes Generales (14th Cortes Generales) Senate (14th Senate) Speaker (list) Pilar Llop Congress of Deputies (14th Congress) Speaker (list) Meritxell Batet Parliamentary groups Permanent Deputation Bureaus of the Cortes Generales Board of Spokespersons People's Defender (ombudsman) Solemn Opening of the Parliament of Spain
Judiciary General Council of the Judiciary Supreme Court President (list) Carlos Lesmes Vice President Ángel Juanes Peces Audiencia Nacional High courts of justice Court of Auditors Prosecution Ministry
Euro European Central Bank Bank of Spain Governor of the Bank of Spain Deputy Governor of the Bank of Spain Royal Mint of Spain
Administrative subdivisions Autonomous communities Legislatures Governments Presidents Autonomous cities Provinces Comarcas Municipalities Plazas de soberanía
Elections Political parties Recent elections General: 2019 (Apr) 2019 (Nov) Regional: 2011 2015 2019 European: 2009 2014 2019 Referendums: 1978 1986 2005
Foreign relations Foreign relations Diplomatic missions of Spain in Spain Politics of the European Union
Related topics Political parties: PP PSOE Podemos C's Spanish transition to democracy Francoist Spain Spanish Civil War Nationalisms and regionalisms of Spain: Basque Catalan Galician Catalan independence movement (Spanish constitutional crisis of 2017–18) Disputed status of Gibraltar Republicanism in Spain (Second Spanish Republic)
Other countries

Observations regarding the use of the Spanish term unionismo español inside Spain don't apply necessarily to the use outside Spain of the same term or translations like Spanish unionism. They can be disconnected, like, on one hand the Spanish term nacionalista, usually applied to regional nationalists and never to Spanish nationalists, and on the other hand the term nationalists, applied to the Francoist faction of the Spanish Civil War in English and many other languages, whereas Spanish sources prefer to not call the Francoists nacionalista, but bando sublevado, meaning Rebel Faction.

The expression Spanish unionism has been used as early as March 2009 in the context of the Catalan independence movement.[2] An example of its use by Basque nationalism can be found in April 2009.[3]

The adoption of the term unionism into the Spanish context and its loaded usage with negative connotation relates to attempts to draw parallels with the Orange Order of the Unionist movement in Ireland.[4]

Spanish unionism is considered by Basque and Catalan nationalist parties as a political ideology identified by its denial of the exercise of the right of self-determination of the peripheral nationalities of Spain or sometimes by the simple defense of Spain as a nation.[5] Therefore, the label has been applied to parties such as the People's Party,[6] Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE)[7] (however, sometimes PSOE is seen as more sympathetic to Spain's nationalist movements),[8] Union, Progress and Democracy (UPYD) and Citizens-Party of the Citizenry (C's).