Scotland and Catalonia : Two Historic Nations Challenge a Three Hundred Year-Old Status Quo

This paper addresses some questions that deserve comments given that they appear in the press on a daily basis. Why and how are Scotland and Catalonia demanding their own individual statehoods? What are the British and Spanish Governments’ responses to the demand for a referendum on independence? What is the role of the Constitutional framework in these answers? And that of political will? Are the unionist campaigns the best method of recruitment for pro-independence camps? Do the pro-independence projects paint a too rosy picture? What are the implications in international law, particularly referring to European Union membership?