By Don Quijones: Until the early eighties, divorce was not an option in Spain. The
only way for a couple to end their marriage was by annulment or legal
separation, both almost impossible to obtain. Because of the legal and
financial obstacles to a formal split and the social stigma attached to
failed marriages, particularly for women, many couples chose to live
apart, in a situation that came to be known as “Spanish divorce.”
In many ways, this is what is playing out right now between Catalonia and the rest of Spain. The two parties are going through the rigmarole of a Spanish divorce. A huge majority of Catalans want, at the very least, the right to decide whether to stay in a loveless marriage with Spain or to seek real, lasting separation. For Madrid, an official divorce with its North-Eastern province is not just unpalatable, it’s unthinkable.
In many ways, this is what is playing out right now between Catalonia and the rest of Spain. The two parties are going through the rigmarole of a Spanish divorce. A huge majority of Catalans want, at the very least, the right to decide whether to stay in a loveless marriage with Spain or to seek real, lasting separation. For Madrid, an official divorce with its North-Eastern province is not just unpalatable, it’s unthinkable.