Spanish unionism is a term used by the
Basque nationalism
Basque nationalism ( eu, eusko abertzaletasuna ; es, nacionalismo vasco; french: nationalisme basque) is a form of nationalism that asserts that Basques, an ethnic group indigenous to the western Pyrenees, are a nation and promotes the pol ...
and
Catalan independence movements to refer to the political attitude which opposes independence and favours the continuity of the
Kingdom of Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
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
Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
faction of the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...
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, particularly those of Ulster Scots people, Ulster Sco ...
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