ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes an analysis of the strategies played in the political conflict over Catalan independence. It examines the reasons behind the recent growth of the popular demand for independence and the collapse of the consensus backing the regime that had shaped Catalan politics since the early 1980s. Massive grassroots movements, together with the outcomes of the opinion polls showing an increased preference for independence and the overall political climate, were clear demands directed at political leaders waiting for a government's response. Due to the effects of the economic crisis, government budgets were suffering important reductions on the side of tax revenues and increasing demands on the side of the provision of public goods and services. The Catalan political party system had been stable for over two decades. Candidatures d'Unitat Popular (CUP) is a Catalan party that was born at the municipal level and for some time ran only in local elections.
