Spain is often referred to as a nation of nations. Ethnocultural differences between the Castilian majority and the Basques, Catalans and Galicians have always been an important issue in Spain. The dual process of state-building and nation-building is of fundamental importance to the territorial structure and the national identities. Spain’s way of dealing with the question of nationalities may also be interesting for other European states. The analysis contains the historical development and the current situation of the different nationalities. Based on a concept defined together with the Carinthian Institute for Ethnic Minorities, the case study provides a political analysis of the situation of the nationalities in Spain. Thus, a multi-level analysis of the existing literature, of journals, newspaper articles and of other material is drawn up.

The Author: Franz Valandro was born in Bludenz/Austria in 1973. He studied Political Science and History at the universities of Innsbruck and New Orleans. During his doctorate, he got a scholarship from the Austrian Academy of Science. He received his Ph.D. in 2001. His doctor thesis is a comparative study of the ethnic conflicts in Northern Ireland and the Basque Country. Furthermore, his scientific work contains numerous publications and presentations on nationalism, ethnic conflicts and political extremism. Currently, he works as a coordinator of adult education at the Austrian in Feldkirch. Additionally, he is a scientific collaborator at the «Carinthian Institute for Ethnic Minorities» (CIFEM) in Villach/Austria.

: Nationalities’ policies in Spain – The process of nation-building and state-building – Analysis of the various nationalities in Spain (Basques, Catalans, Galicians and others): Historical development – Language and culture – Nationalism – Statutes of autonomy and political institutions – Current situation.