Territories, Identity and Europe: How have the politics of history been used in nationalist rhetoric? A case study of Scotland, Catalonia and Padania.

One obvious point of comparison is referendums on independence. In the case of Padania, they held a referendum in 1997, which resulted in over 99% of voters being in support of independence.
However, this did not lead to independence, because Padania was, and is, not officially recognised by the Italian state or by the international community. In Scotland, as discussed, there is a referendum planned for autumn 2014. Although unclear what the outcome will be, this is a decisive move toward independence for both the SNP, and the UK as a whole. In Catalonia, the current president of the Generalitat has repeatedly mentioned he would like to call a referendum on independence. However, the national government has strongly opposed this, arguing that it would be unconstitutional. In nationalist rhetoric, referendums are often seen as a goal in order to further their pro-independence aims, and to involve the wider public in the debate.
A point in common with all three case studies is that nationalist parties have participated within the national governments and the European Parliament. In the case of Scotland, the SNP has been part of the national UK parliament since 1970, albeit with a small number of MPs, although never part of a coalition government. To contrast, in the case of Padania, Lega Nord has participated in the Italian government (intermittently between 2001 and 2011), and they remain a party within parliament. In Catalonia, the CiU has elected representatives to national government since 1979 but, as in Scotland, has never participated within a coalition. It is important to note that CiU is not the exclusive nationalist party in Catalonia, unlike Lega Nord and the SNP.
All three nationalist movements have utilised sporting events in order to foster a sense of shared identity. In Scotland, the 2014 referendum coincides with the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup being held in the country, and the SNP could capitalise on feelings of national pride before the independence referendum is held. In Catalonia,FC Bar ahas been key in promoting nationalist rhetoric as seen in recent matches against other Spanish teams. In Padania, the creation of a national football team is an example of the desire to unite the region in support of independence. Sport could be seen as a useful tool in reaching members of the public who are not necessarily interested in political issues on a day-to-day basis. [...]