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by NachoDuck 3392 days ago
Primarily Spain I think? I couldn't find a good source saying they would block the membership outright but there's an article here which includes some details about which states are opposed the EU negotiating potential membership for Scotland as part of Brexit (I realise that's slightly different to Scotland joining as an independent nation).

'Brexit: Spain and France oppose Scotland EU talks' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-3665...
2 comments
Snowdax 3392 days ago
Spain has just come out last week and said that they are OK with Scotland joining the EU as long as England has signed of on Scotland leaving the UK first and the independence process being completed. The implication being that it would not set a Catalonian precedent as Spain would be inclined to never sign off on Catalonia leaving in the first place.
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nailer 3391 days ago
> England has signed of on Scotland leaving the UK first

England doesn't 'sign off' for whether Scotland is in union or not as that is Scotland's choice, not England's. England acknowledge this and would never say otherwise.

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ruairidhwm 3392 days ago
Spain is less of an argument now as Catalonia have always been a region of Spain whereas Scotland is its own nation which joined the UK through the Act of Union. It's a different legal precedent.

Also, I imagine that Spain will do what they're encouraged to do by thE EC considering the budgetary reliance.

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mezod 3392 days ago
wait what? Catalonia has always been what? Nope.
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ruairidhwm 3392 days ago
Hey - if I'm wrong then I'd love to be corrected as I'm currently labouring under the impression that Catalonia is legally a region of Spain and has been part of Spain since around 1469 which was when the concept of what we now know as Spain started.

Not at all wanting a flame-war etc but if I'm wrong then I'd really like to know! :)

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mezod 3392 days ago
Sorry, I now realize my answer could appear to be rude when it wasn't my intention.

The correct year to consider it fully a region of Spain would be 1714, when the Spanish army defeated the catalans and removed most of its state structures/institutions, etc. This article's intro might help: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Catalonia

I don't want to bore you with a history lesson that I myself might not know accurately, but I feel the need to say that different namings for the same levels of independence of state structures should be taken into consideration. So saying "Catalonia has always been a region of Spain" is far from the truth or at least it skips a lot of history.

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ruairidhwm 3392 days ago
Ah that's really interesting, thanks!

I didn't mean any offence by my statement, I understand that of course Catalan's case for independence is no less valid! I suppose it's really just legal wrangling :)

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mezod 3392 days ago
No offense at all! It's just that history is written by the winners and we have so little international visibility that it hurts :P
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