ABSTRACT
The secessionist challenge posed in Catalonia in recent years is not merely a proposal made by elite, or an unfulfilled wish of a part of Catalan society represented to a greater or lesser extent by its political representatives, as is the case, in Corsica or in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Our analysis of international texts and international practice, together with that of other scholars, allows us to make some conclusive points about the legal consideration of the phenomenon of secession and also about the specific case of Catalonia’s pretensions and the events that have taken place there. The study of secessionist processes carried out in this monograph covers very different aspects of the phenomenon, including concept, distinction between secession and separation, alleged legal bases, elements of statehood and ascertainment thereof, the importance of effectiveness, the effects of secession, respect for international law and international recognition, among others.
