Spanish unionism is a term used mainly by the

Basque nationalism Basque nationalism ( ; ; ) is a form of nationalism that asserts that Basques, an ethnic group indigenous to the western Pyrenees, are a nation and promotes the political unity of the Basques, today scattered between Spain and France. Since ...

and Catalan independence movements to refer to the political attitude which opposes independence and favours the continuity of the

Kingdom of Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

as a single united nation-state. Observations regarding the use of the Spanish term ''unionismo español'' inside Spain do not 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 Catalan nationalists and never to Spanish nationalists, and on the other hand the term applied to the Francoist faction of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

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. An example of its use by Basque nationalism can be found in April 2009. 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 The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...

of the Unionist movement in Ireland. 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. Therefore, the label has been applied to parties such as the People's Party, Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE),"Los senadores valencianos del PSOE firman una declaración en defensa del catalán"
'' El Mundo''. Retrieved 24 May 2013.

Union, Progress and Democracy Union, Progress and Democracy ( , UPyD ) was a Spanish list of political parties in Spain, political party founded in September 2007 and dissolved in December 2020. It was a social liberalism, social-liberal party that rejected any form of nation ...

(UPYD) and Citizens-Party of the Citizenry (C's).

References

{{reflist Spanish nationalism Unionism

See also

References