The Catalan issue distorts nationalism. This is how I begin this opinion article in which I hope to clarify concepts, ideologies, positions, and disparate contexts that are causing nationalism to be diluted and folded into separatism.
I will focus this analysis on Canarian nationalism, a nationalism different from many others, mainly due to the special conditions of the Canary Islands: geography, history, culture, language, its own fiscal heritage, etc.
We live in the "post-democratic" era, in a State that has consolidated democracy as a system of coexistence, which has had seven different presidents of the Government, from Adolfo Suárez to the current Pedro Sánchez. And that in the concept of autonomous community (not counting pre-autonomy), we have had nine presidents, from Jerónimo Saavedra to our current President Fernando Clavijo.
In the democratic history of the Spanish State, the separatist lawsuits of Catalonia or the Basque Country have, over the years, distorted ideological concepts and put them all in the same bag, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Secessionism, separatism, and independence have few aspects in common with nationalism or the last rung, regionalism. Those who encompass ideological diversity in the same being are ignorant, or do so for political purposes in order to reap electoral benefits.
To contextualize and define myself, since this is an opinion article, I consider myself a very convinced nationalist, and I will explain.
I believe that living 2,000 kilometers away from the State, being in the middle of the Atlantic, geographically located next to the African continent, but with a Latin culture, with European political-legal knowledge, and being in the 21st century with bilateral, multilateral treaties, economic, digital and social globalization, it is unlikely to think of separatist concepts. In fact, the political project in which I believe and of which I am the Secretary General of the JNC, has always respected and defended the constitutional order, but we have also talked about the differences of being Canarian within the current system.
I believe in Europe and I believe in the Canary Islands. In a multilateral binomial where we can all generate a new State model. Spain must regenerate, modernize, take a further step and constitute a federal framework where the autonomies by history, culture, geography, etc. can fit in a way that Europe is consolidated and the Spanish State fits.
It is not a debate of flags (which, by the way, in the previous debate of the Statute of Autonomy, CC proposed that the national flag of the seven stars be the official Canarian flag. You only have to visit the PARCAN session diary) it is a conception of party, of ideology, of knowing where we are and where we want to go. Why can't we participate in the construction of a new territorial model? Yes, in the Spanish State, together, but with differentiated conditions.
Let's make comparative politics our mirror: Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, Germany, USA. A new model, for the new decade, with a new territorial anchorage, with a symmetrical bicameralism, where we have a Senate with real powers, with a system of checks and balances where the different peoples of the Spanish State can have a voice, with optional decentralization and with common subjects. A new scenario, where nationalism is not confused with forced separatism.
I believe in the Canary Islands, I believe in Europe.
By David Toledo Niz, Secretary General of the Young Nationalists of the Canary Islands.
