Galician nationalism

This is my second post of the day and its main purpose is to acknowledge the long comment from Xoan Carlos to my earlier post today and to say a full reply will have to wait until tomorrow. Especially as two other readers have already commented at length. Right now, I’m about to embark on a 2 hour piano lesson in Argentinean-accented Spanish with the grandson of some Galician émigrés. Who likes to talk. Then there is more 6 Nations [ironically] rugby on the TV, followed by a curry at a friend’s house. So time is short today.

For now, I just wanted to say there appear to be two basic groups, which we might call nationalists and Nationalists. The former - conscious of the maltreatment Galicia has received over the centuries - wish to preserve and promote Galician culture, in particular the language. They don’t necessarily think Galicia has to be labelled a ‘nation’ for this to happen and they are quite happy for Galician and Castilian to co-exist and for an ever-stronger Galicia to remain a part of Spain’s rich quilt. The latter go further and wish, for example, to create a ‘nation’ in which Galician is actively promoted at the expense of Castilian. Some of them may even aspire to a separate state. Though we might have to invent a sub-group for these, called the ultra-Nationalists. These might then include the people who think Galician spelling should be the same as Portuguese. A broad church, then.

If this is basically true [or at least acceptable for purposes of debate], I would see myself as being in the nationalist camp and the BNG as being in the Nationalist camp. Carlos and Xoan Carlos may also be nationalists, rather than Nationalists. And the contributors to www.galpondebreogan as well. But I’d like to have their views on this.

More anon. Meanwhile, I should add that I’m delighted this little tertulia is taking place. Especially as everyone is being good enough to write in English.