Catalan contemporary history and political strategy intersect in a newly released book examining how Jordi Pujol secured decades of political dominance in Catalonia, while modern scholars warn that newer nationalist factions threaten foundational social consensus, ara.cat reported.
De l’antifranquisme al pujolisme and the roots of political hegemony
Eloi Gummà, a doctor in contemporary history from the UAB born in 1995, explores the factors behind the electoral triumphs of Convergència in his book De l’antifranquisme al pujolisme. La pugna per l’hegemonia, published by Akal. While leftist groups led the opposition against the dictatorship, Convergència governed Catalonia for more than two decades consecutive. Gummà attributes Pujol’s rise to tactical skill, crucial votes from the UCD and ERC, and backing from conservative political actors and major economic powers who feared a leftist government at the Generalitat.
Economic elites, fear campaigns, and the 1980 electoral landscape
Spanish reformist and economic elites viewed a leftist Catalonia as the primary threat, accepting conservative nationalism as a stabilizing alternative. Gummà notes that Pujol’s victory also benefited from an intense fear campaign suggesting that a left-wing government would strip citizens of cars, homes, and basic livelihood. Gummà told Pujol that he served as the card of Suárez to neutralize the left, much like Josep Tarradellas had done in 1977. Pujol acknowledged during a private meeting that a segment of the economic power structure aligned with CiU, though he argued that factor alone did not tell the full story.
🟡 Jordi Pujol i els darrers anys del franquisme i la transició🗣️ L'historiador Eloi Gummà analitza com Catalunya va passar d'una hegemonia de l'antifranquisme d'esquerres a vint anys de pujolisme▶️ Recupera l'entrevista completa: https://t.co/HMMhDz8Fqv pic.twitter.com/Krs0IODv8k
The legacy of Convergència across contemporary Catalan parties
Pujol’s political vision established an ideological hegemony that permeated how Catalan society perceives itself. Gummà argues that elements of this legacy persist across the political spectrum, from the PSC to factions within Junts and even within certain left-wing nationalist movements. When Esquerra assumed government responsibilities, the party emulated structural governance approaches established during the Pujol era.
Aliança Catalana and the challenge to traditional Catalanism
Aliança Catalana represents a distinct threat to the foundational consensus of Catalanism that has operated since the 1960s under the PSUC, Convergència, or the tripartit. Gummà points out that Aliança Catalana exploits the frustration generated by the Procés and the perceived idealism or infantilism of Junts. By defining national identity through exclusionary terms—echoing marginal factions within 1980s nationalist youth groups that Pujol deliberately kept from prevailing—such movements risk provoking severe civil friction. Gummà and Pujol explicitly agreed during their recent conversation that Aliança Catalana constitutes a major threat to the broader movement of Catalanism.
