In debt-burdened Europe, separatism on the rise

Breakaway groups in Spain, Scotland, Italy and other nations have strengthened their call for independence as Europe’s economies continue to suffer.

5 Seconds

00:00

Belgium

A New Flemish Alliance party supporter waves a Flemish flag at the townhall in Antwerp after local elections on Oct. 14. Flemish nationalist leader Bart De Wever scored a breakthrough electoral win and immediately called on Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo to radically reshape the federal state. Hailing a "historic" victory in Antwerp City Hall after his opponent conceded defeat before the results were all in, De Wever said Di Rupo and his federal coalition partners should "assume your responsibility."

Dirk Waem / AFP/Getty Images

Belgium

Belgian Flemish right-wing party President Bart De Wever celebrates on stage in Belgium's local elections at Zuiderkroon theatre in Antwerp on Oct. 14. De Wever rose to notoriety in 2005 by leading a convoy of 12 trucks loaded with more than 200 million euros in fake 50-euro bills that were transported from Flanders in the north to Wallonia in the south, dramatizing his message that relatively well off Flemish-speaking taxpayers were financing a costly welfare system for French-speaking Walloons.

Yves Herman / Reuters

Spain

Barcelona fans wave pro-independence Catalonia flags during the final of the Copa del Rey soccer match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain. More than ever, FC Barcelona, known affectionately as Barca, lived up to its motto of being "more than a club" for this wealthy northeastern region where Spain's economic crisis is fueling separatist sentiment. Barca has been seen as a bastion of Catalan identity dating back to the three decades of dictatorship when Catalans could not openly speak, teach or publish in their native Catalan language. Barcelona writer Manuel Vazquez Montalban famously called the football team "Catalonia's unarmed symbolic army."

Andres Kudacki / AP

Spain

People opposed to the independence of the Catalonia region of Spain, hold Catalan and Spanish flags during the holiday known as Dia de la Hispanidad, Spain's National Day, in Barcelona, Spain, on Oct. 12. Spain is in recession and under pressure to fix its finances while celebrating the day Christopher Columbus discovered America in the name of the Spanish crown.

Manu Fernandez / AP

Scotland

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, right, shakes hands with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond on July 8, ahead of the men's final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England, between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Andy Murray of Britain. In Scotland, which has been part of the United Kingdom for 300 years, a referendum on independence has already been scheduled for autumn 2014 -- on the anniversary of a battle in which Scotsmen defeated the British.

Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

Scotland

One of the marker stones stands at Carter Bar viewpoint where the A68 crosses from Scotland into England. Rather than blaming the London government, many Scots have expressed fear that things would only get worse if Scotland were to go it on its own.

Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

Italy

A man with a shirt saying "Padania is not Italy" looks on before the start of the exhibition soccer match between Padania and Tibet in Milan, Italy on May 7, 2008. The anti-immigrant Italian political party Northern League seeks autonomy for the northern region.calls "Padania.”

Antonio Calanni / AP

Spain Rafa Rivas

Supporters of the the pro-independence political coalition "Eh Bildu" (Euskal Herria Bildu), celebrate exit poll results on Oct. 21 in the Northern Spanish Basque city of Bilbao during the Basque regional election. The separatist Euskal Herria Bildu coalition finished in second place with 23-26 seats out of the 75 up for grabs, just behind the conservative Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) which captured 24-27 seats, an Ispos exit poll prepared for Basque public television showed.

/ AFP/Getty Images

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

Kriket Krekemeyer cries while cleaning up her tornado-ravaged home in Moore, Okla., Wednesday, May 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Mike Simons)

Photos of the day

Oklahoma tornado wreckage, London terrorism attack, NASA’s Dream Chaser, Triton unmanned aircraft and more.

A police forensics officer investigates a crime scene where one man was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 22, 2013. British Prime Minister David Cameron has called a meeting of his government's emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Terrorism cited in London cleaver attack

Two assailants hacked to death a British soldier on a busy southeast London neighborhood street Wednesday afternoon before delivering an apparent...

MOORE, OK - MAY 22: A street of tornado destructed homes is reflected on a puddle of water on May 22, 2013 in Moore, Ok. (Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

Assessing tornado damage in Oklahoma

Amid great destruction, residents of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore begin to assess the severity of the twister that hit Monday.

WASHINGTON DC: MAY 22
Contestant Travis Rumans, 31 dances with his beloved glow sticks for talent at Penn Social in Washington, DC on May 22, 2013. The contestants help raise over $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The Mr. DC pageant is a fundraising event to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The qualifications for the Mr. District of Columbia finalists is that they must live, work and attend school in the District of Columbia between the ages of 21-30 who are unmarried, intelligent, and dapper in a suit.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Mr. D.C. Pageant contestants compete for charity

Contestants in the Mr. D.C. Pageant, a fundraising event, helped raise more than $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center.

ANNAPOLIS, MD - MAY 20: The Herndon Monument Climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the United States Naval Academy. The plebes climb to the top of the lard-covered 21 foot high monument and remove the 'dixie cup' hat at the top replacing it with an upperclassman's hat. After completing this, the freshmen are called 'fourth class midshipmen.' This class completed the task in 1 hour 32 minutes and 43 seconds. The hat was placed by Patrick Lien from Orlando. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

The Herndon Climb

The Herndon Monument climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the U.S. Naval Academy.

US comedian Jerry Lewis laughs on May 23, 2013 during a press confrence for the film 'Max Rose' presented Out of Competition at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / LOIC VENANCELOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images

Eye on entertainment

Jerry Lewis, Kat Graham, Zachary Quinto, Aerosmith, Carly Rae Jepsen and more.

This combination of Associated Press photos shows left, a neighborhood in Moore, Okla., in ruins on Tuesday, May 4, 1999, after a tornado flattened many houses and buildings in central Oklahoma, and right, flattened houses in Moore on Monday, May 20, 2013. Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. (AP Photo)

Okla. tornado loosely followed path of 1999 twister

Monday’s powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the area in May 1999.

A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Animal views

Fun and fascinating creatures around the world.

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.