The inclusive idea of 'un sol poble' in Catalonia is under threat. New ethnic-based narratives are dividing residents. The shift marks a sharp break from the region’s long-standing approach to identity.
The idea that anyone living and working in Catalonia could be considered Catalan is now under pressure. In recent years, exclusionary rhetoric has moved from the margins into mainstream conversation, breaking apart the region’s once-integrative identity model and fueling new divisions.
For decades, there was a practical consensus: 'un sol poble', or a single people. That approach is now eroding as ethnic nationalism gains ground. Words like 'nyordos' and 'colonos', once fringe insults, are now used more openly to label and separate residents, challenging the old principle that origin or language should not decide who belongs. Still, some recent research and official reports suggest that the spread of these terms in public discourse is not fully confirmed by primary sources, and their actual prevalence remains up for debate.
As of July 2024, 41.1% of Catalonia's residents identify as only or mostly Catalan, while 44.1% see themselves as both Catalan and Spanish, and 11.6% as only or mostly Spanish.
This hardening of identity lines did not happen overnight. The final phase of the procés, Catalonia’s independence push, gave space to more radical voices. As politics grew more tense, so did the urge to draw boundaries around who counts as truly Catalan. The range of acceptable views shifted, and ideas once considered extreme became part of daily conversation.
Back in the 1970s, Catalan leaders faced a similar problem: how to welcome waves of newcomers without tearing the social fabric. Their answer was a shared, open identity that valued coexistence over exclusion. Today, that model is being replaced by a narrower one, where Catalan identity is treated as a closed club, open only to those who meet stricter criteria. Yet, according to columns in major Catalan media and recent expert commentary, official and research agendas in 2026 still describe Catalan identity as fundamentally inclusive, focusing on citizenship and shared participation rather than ethnic origin.
The result is a risk of a divided civic community. Catalonia could become a patchwork of closed groups: a minority of 'Catalans' and a majority of 'non-Catalan' residents. This echoes the same divisions that Spanish nationalist parties like Ciudadanos once promoted, but now from the other side of the political spectrum.
Between 2002 and 2025, the number of people over 65 in Catalonia increased by 800,000, intensifying the region's reliance on immigration and making debates over belonging more politically charged.
This reversal is not unique to Catalonia. Across Spain, identity politics have become a battleground, with local disputes reflecting national debates. The recent controversy in Valencia over wildfire response, as reported earlier, shows how quickly questions of belonging and exclusion can turn into broader conflicts. In Valencia, for example, the region’s official name was set as a compromise after Spain’s transition to democracy, but some civic and left-wing groups still use "País Valencià" as a symbol of national identity, showing that similar debates over identity and inclusion are ongoing in other autonomous communities.
What’s at stake is more than language. The move toward ethnic exclusivity marks a deeper change in Catalan society—a retreat from the optimism that once shaped its politics. The old belief that anyone could become Catalan simply by living in Catalonia is now dismissed by hardliners as naïve or even dangerous. Their vision is defensive: a select group protecting itself from outsiders, with identity based on birth or language instead of shared experience.
This shift is not just a reaction to political setbacks or demographic change. It reflects a wider trend toward hardened identities and closed communities, where belonging is inherited, not chosen. For Catalonia, the cost is the unraveling of a model that once let it absorb diversity without breaking apart. The region now faces a clear choice: hold on to the idea of inclusion, or give in to division. That decision will shape not only Catalonia’s future, but also the wider Spanish debate over what it means to belong.
