The europeanization of the Catalan debate: a “war of attrition”?

This chapter reviews the literature on secession, with a focus on its application to advanced democracies. Demands for secession, or for the split or separation of established states, continue to characterize national and international politics worldwide. The chapter seeks to formulate a sketched representation of the game played by the government of Catalonia and the government of Spain. Puigdemont urged the European Union “to be part of the solution to the Catalan situation,” and to act as a mediator between Catalonia and the Spanish government to reach an agreement on a binding referendum. The chapter argues that actions carried out in the period of interest by the Catalan and the Spanish governments could be modelled as “war of attrition” game. Despite the central government’s attitude, in the days immediately following the referendum Catalan leaders showed their intention to resist and to do not abandon the game, taking it to the “next level” – represented by a formal declaration of independence.