Catalan Patriotic Movement (Catalan: Moviment Patriòtic Català; Spanish: Movimiento Patriótico Catalán, MPC) was a minor Spanish national syndicalist political party active in Catalonia, established in 1994 as the political successor of the former armed group Milicia Catalana (MC). They sought to defend Catalan identity within the framework of Spain, advocating for preserving the political unity of the nation, using both Catalan and Spanish languages in their publications and drawing primarily from the concept of Hispanic Catalanism.
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| Leader | Carlos Francisoud |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Preceded by | Milícia Catalana |
| Merged into | Platform for Catalonia |
| Newspaper | Esclat |
| Youth wing | Batzegada |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Religion | Catholicism |
| Party flag | |
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History
editFormation
editThe MPC was formed in Barcelona by former militants of the integralist armed group Milicia Catalana in 1994.[1][2] It was founded by Carlos Francisoud Araguas, after being released from prison in the 1990s due to his clandestine activities as one of the leaders of said group. In contrast with its predecesor, the MPC intended to focus on the political path and not the armed struggle supported by MC, although this would not always be fulfilled.[3]
Ideology and campaign
editIdeologically, the organization maintained the posture of its predecessor, the MC. The MPC supported national syndicalism and was strongly influenced by Catholic integralism, with certain inspiration in the Carlista movement.[2][4] It’s primarly objective was the opposition towards Catalonian separatism, supporting the union of Spanish and Catalonian identity.[2] The party was also supportive of republicanism.[1]
The MPC also organized a youth wing called Batzegada,[5] and a publication called Esclat, published in both Spanish and Catalan.[1] In 2001, as a member of Batzegada, Diego José Frías Álvarez would be responsible of planting a bomb in the Barcelona Sants railway station, during a concert in support of prisoners from ETA, a far-left terrorist organization responsible of over 800 deaths.[6][7] Some ex-members of the MPC have joined Platform for Catalonia.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Moviment Patriòtic Català". enciclopèdia.cat (in Catalan). Catalonia: Grup Enciclopèdia. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Borràs, Jordi (31 May 2016). "Diccionari de l'extrema dreta a Catalunya, de la A a la Z". Crític. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ "Capítol 4: Europa ensenya a sortir de l'armari". Extrema Catalunya (Podcast). Publisher. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "Nacional sindicalismo y lucha armada". Esclat (in Spanish). No. 1. Catalonia: Moviment Patriòtic Català. October 1994. pp. 18–19.
- ^ Romaguera, Alex (5 August 2008). Climent, Eliseu (ed.). "Música RAC, la partitura de l'odi" (PDF). El Temps (in Catalan) (1260). Catalonia: 61. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ^ "La policia afirma que l'artefacte frustrat a Sants tenia quatre quilos d'explosiu i estava ideat per fer més mal". vilaweb.cat. 27 July 2005. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- ^ "El topo que perforó la célula yihadista de Antonio el peluquero". Onda Cero Radio. Madrid: Atresmedia. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ "L'alcaldable de PxC a Badalona és un històric antiindependentista condemnat a 8 anys i mig de presó". Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2015-08-25.