Reclamant espanyolitat des de la catalanitat: Un estudi dels diputats escollits a Catalunya durant la Dècada Moderada (1843-54)

Abstract

This investigation has worked on parliamentarism during the Moderate Decade (1843-54), with the deputies elected by the Catalan electoral districts as the subject of study. This approach has been materialized in six major areas of analysis. First of all, it has been introduced a common profile of the representatives studied through a sociological analysis from the resources provided by the prosopographical method, as well as considering the motives for becoming politicians. Then, it has been evaluated the conception of politics, mainly in the electoral field, which had liberal Spanish political parties and MPs, citizens from their condition of electors and people without the right to vote. The electoral process has also been considered, highlighting a distinctive political profile within the Catalan districts, with a significant political diversity and a low participation caused by the dissatisfaction of the Moderate regime. It has also been studied the role that the politicians developed from a representative point of view. In other words, how deputies acted to represent the interests of the electorate, as well as the contact they established in order to respect voters’ wishes. Fifthly, Catalan parliamentary action has also been explored by focusing on both coordinated and opposed strategies. The debates on issues related to the State used to divide those politicians, who were inclined to give their support to the party or faction to which they felt closest. In contrast, Catalan politicians joined together when some specific topics arose, such as a protectionist political economy or a desire for a less aggressive fiscal system. This coordinated action was known as Diputació catalana (Catalan council). Finally, it has been examined the response of the Spanish public opinion to such actions. They differed according to the context and the issues involved, so the response could imply acceptance or refusal, especially when demands concerning industrial matters were involved in the discussion, as well as claims that were understood as particular Catalan benefits or when the Catalan deputies, also progovernment moderates, used to vote with autonomy from the government. Methodologically, it has been used language to analyse some of the episodes evaluated. From the theoretical basis of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) it has been examined the use of language as an instrument used by politicians to maintain relations of supremacy and political power. That is, as a mechanism that reflected hegemonic visions of a topic or reproduced relations of subordination. The aim of the analysis is to understand the relationship between Catalan and Spanish politicians at that time and how the former’s conception of territorial sovereignty fit into the Spanish liberal State, showing that the problem of comprehension between Catalan and Spanish political elites was a matter regarding territorial sovereignty. On the whole, the Spanish liberal authorities believed centralism and legislative uniformity were the best options to preserve unity and the equality among citizens and the various territories of the monarchy. By contrast, representatives of the Catalan districts thought that the State should integrate the diversity of legislative systems, as well as give greater capacities to provincial institutions, since they better represented territorial interests.

Date of Award	25 Jan 2016
Original language	Catalan
Awarding Institution	Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Supervisor	Maria Gemma Rubí Casals (Director)