The Economic Crisis as a Platform for Developing Regional Identity Discourses in the Context of Spain. A Case Study of Andalusia and Catalonia

• • 
  • Presentation speakers
    • Kamil Fleissner, University of Economics, Faculty of International Relations, Prague, Czech Republic

  Abstract:

  The economic crisis and the related social problems make space to redefining relations among regional, national and European dimensions of policy. In this context, many of Spanish political leaders try to contribute purposefully to intensify and reinforce the discourse of regional, national or European collective consciousness. On the one hand, we can see the resistant rhetoric of Rajoy´s government members who are defending ‘national identity’ and ‘national interests’, on the other hand, we are witnessing the growing importance of the regional and European interpretative framework. In recent months a lot of identitarian manifestations of Catalan, Basque, as well as Andalusian politicians are particularly evident in the discursive field. In respect to the economic crisis the regional political leaders very often refer to the possible disintegration of the Kingdom of Spain, as many times before. The present paper aims to analyze the reflexive relation between the regional identity discourse and the rhetorical references to the current economic crisis and social problems. Using the socio-constructivist theoretical approach and the methodological apparatus consisting of the content and critical discourse analysis I will investigate the basic strategies of categorization and identification included in the public speeches of selected Catalan and Andalusian politicians; i.e. I will respond to the question of how these political leaders of Autonomous Communities use the current economic and social situation to reinforce imagination of the regional consciousness.

 

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