Catalonia has been struggling for independence for over 300 years, with modern political separatism emerging in the mid-19th century .
Here is the historical breakdown of how long this struggle has lasted and when the key turning points occurred:
📜 The 300-Year Timeline of Independence Efforts
The modern movement is deeply rooted in events that began centuries ago.
· 1714 – The Loss of Autonomy (The "Original Sin"): The most pivotal date for Catalan separatists is September 11, 1714. On this day, Barcelona fell to the Bourbon army of King Philip V at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. Following this defeat, the king abolished Catalonia’s autonomous institutions and its traditional laws (Constitutions) through the Nueva Planta decrees. This loss of self-rule is often cited as the birth of Catalan resistance, and September 11 is now commemorated as the National Day of Catalonia.
· Mid–19th Century – The Birth of Modern Separatism: While resistance existed for centuries, the formal political movement for independence began to take shape during the Renaixença (Renaissance), a cultural revival movement that started around the 1850s. This period saw the emergence of the first organized groups demanding full independence from Spain.
· 1922 – The First Political Party: The first organized political party dedicated specifically to Catalan independence, Estat Català (Catalan State), was founded in 1922 by Francesc Macià.
· 2009–2017 – The Contemporary Surge: The current phase of the independence drive—the one most people recognize today—began around 2009. This was triggered by a controversial 2010 Spanish court ruling that struck down parts of a 2006 statute granting Catalonia more self-governance. This legal decision sparked massive protests and eventually led to the symbolic (and illegal) referendums of 2014 and the more famous binding referendum on October 1, 2017.
🧠 Why This Matters for Alberta
The history of the Catalan struggle offers several practical lessons for Alberta separatists:
1. Duration: Even with deep cultural, linguistic, and economic grievances, achieving a unilateral secession is a generational struggle. Catalonia has pursued this for over 300 years without achieving international recognition as a sovereign state.
2. The "Parent Country" Veto: The Spanish government consistently refused to allow a legal referendum, declared Catalan votes void, and used constitutional powers to take over the region temporarily. This highlights that a federal government (like Canada's) has significant legal and constitutional tools to block a unilateral split.
3. International Recognition: Despite holding a referendum and declaring independence in 2017, no foreign power recognized Catalonia as an independent republic. This underscores the fundamental hurdle: without the blessing of the parent country (Spain/Canada), international bodies like the UN and major powers are highly unlikely to recognize a new breakaway state.
Catalonia has been struggling for independence for over 300 years, with modern political separatism emerging in the mid-19th century .
Here is the historical breakdown of how long this struggle has lasted and when the key turning points occurred:
📜 The 300-Year Timeline of Independence Efforts
The modern movement is deeply rooted in events that began centuries ago.
· 1714 – The Loss of Autonomy (The "Original Sin"): The most pivotal date for Catalan separatists is September 11, 1714. On this day, Barcelona fell to the Bourbon army of King Philip V at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. Following this defeat, the king abolished Catalonia’s autonomous institutions and its traditional laws (Constitutions) through the Nueva Planta decrees. This loss of self-rule is often cited as the birth of Catalan resistance, and September 11 is now commemorated as the National Day of Catalonia.
· Mid–19th Century – The Birth of Modern Separatism: While resistance existed for centuries, the formal political movement for independence began to take shape during the Renaixença (Renaissance), a cultural revival movement that started around the 1850s. This period saw the emergence of the first organized groups demanding full independence from Spain.
· 1922 – The First Political Party: The first organized political party dedicated specifically to Catalan independence, Estat Català (Catalan State), was founded in 1922 by Francesc Macià.
· 2009–2017 – The Contemporary Surge: The current phase of the independence drive—the one most people recognize today—began around 2009. This was triggered by a controversial 2010 Spanish court ruling that struck down parts of a 2006 statute granting Catalonia more self-governance. This legal decision sparked massive protests and eventually led to the symbolic (and illegal) referendums of 2014 and the more famous binding referendum on October 1, 2017.
🧠 Why This Matters for Alberta
The history of the Catalan struggle offers several practical lessons for Alberta separatists:
1. Duration: Even with deep cultural, linguistic, and economic grievances, achieving a unilateral secession is a generational struggle. Catalonia has pursued this for over 300 years without achieving international recognition as a sovereign state.
2. The "Parent Country" Veto: The Spanish government consistently refused to allow a legal referendum, declared Catalan votes void, and used constitutional powers to take over the region temporarily. This highlights that a federal government (like Canada's) has significant legal and constitutional tools to block a unilateral split.
3. International Recognition: Despite holding a referendum and declaring independence in 2017, no foreign power recognized Catalonia as an independent republic. This underscores the fundamental hurdle: without the blessing of the parent country (Spain/Canada), international bodies like the UN and major powers are highly unlikely to recognize a new breakaway state.
The Unanswered Questions: A List for Every Separatist Who Claims to Have a Plan
Section One: The Economics of Separation
1. How do you replace $140 billion in annual interprovincial trade with the rest of Canada?
2. Where do the 300,000+ Alberta jobs that depend on exports to the rest of Canada go on Day 2?
3. What is your specific, costed plan for replicating Canada's 150+ international trade deals?
4. What happens to the Canada Health Transfer?
5. What happens to interprovincial healthcare reciprocity?
6. What is your plan for a currency?
7. Who lends Alberta money?
8. What happens to the Canada Pension Plan contributions Albertans have made for decades?
9. What happens to federal employee pensions for Albertans who worked for Canada?
10. What happens to Alberta's share of the national debt?
Section Two: Geography and Energy
11. How does oil leave Alberta without BC's permission?
12. What specific pipeline, rail, or port project will carry your doubled production?
13. How do you prevent BC from imposing crippling transit fees?
14. What happens to Alberta's oil price when you have only one customer (the US) and no alternative route?
15. How do you prevent US corporations from buying Alberta's oil sands at fire-sale prices?
16. What is your military plan?
17. What is your plan for the RCMP?
18. What happens to Canadian Forces bases in Alberta (CFB Edmonton, CFB Suffield, etc.)?
Section Three: Indigenous and Legal Questions
19. How do you resolve Treaty 6, 7, and 8 obligations without Canada?
20. What happens when First Nations declare that separation voids their treaties with the Crown?
21. What is your plan for Indigenous land claims that are currently being litigated?
22. What happens to the Constitution of Alberta?
23. What happens to the courts?
24. What happens to the thousands of federal employees who live and work in Alberta?
Section Four: The "Yes, But" Deflections
25. You say "small countries succeed" — which landlocked, resource-dependent breakaway state has ever thrived?
26. You say "the US will protect us" — has the US ever guaranteed your security?
27. You say "Montana and Idaho would welcome us" — do they control the ports?
28. You say "we don't need trade deals, we'll just trade with the US" — the US already buys as much as it wants. What changes?
29. You say "equalization is theft" — do you understand how insurance works?
30. You say "we'll just rejoin Canada if it doesn't work out" — on what terms?
31. Who renegotiates the new pharmaceutical imports?
32. Where do the immigrants fit in, temporary workers, nonpermanent and permanent immigrants who have yet to earn citizenship?
33. When do you get new passports and what nations will recognize them?
34. Where are your embassies going to be and will any nation want one?
35. What happens to single payer healthcare?
36. What nations in UN are ready to accept Alberta as a nation?
To every separatist who calls me a "globalist" or "on Ottawa's payroll": Answer one question to prove me wrong. Just one.
Not "you sound like." Not "that's propaganda." A specific answer. GDP. Jobs. Trade value. Pipeline capacity. Show me you have a plan. I will wait.
The Question Behind All Questions
Why should any Albertan trust a separatist movement that cannot answer a single one of these questions?
Not "we'll figure it out." Not "the people will decide." Not "Ottawa is the enemy." A real, specific, costed, verifiable plan.
The separatists have grievances. They have slogans. They have Facebook groups and bumper stickers and flags.
They do not have a plan.
And until they do, they are not asking for your vote. They are asking for your trust — without earning it.
That is not democracy. That is a leap of faith off a cliff they have not bothered to map.
Excellent questions and without a plan it’s a recipe for disaster
Share please.
https://substack.com/profile/1267310-kelly/note/c-263646739?r=r5v2