As two of the most prominent parties within the Basque and Catalan nationalist movements, Convergència i Unió (CiU) and the Partido Nacionalista Vasco (PNV) have long considered themselves to be historic allies in the struggle against the Spanish state. At the same time, however, both parties have adopted different strategies in pursuit of their territorial goals. Most recently, whilst CiU has sought to secure a referendum on Catalan independence, PNV has stressed its commitment to increased self-government through reform of the Basque statute of autonomy. But these positions also constitute a departure from previous strategies that prioritised territorial accommodation in the case of CiU, and independence for the PNV. This paper analyses the territorial strategies of CiU and PNV, and identifies the drivers of strategic change over time. The paper provides new insights into the complex dynamics that inform nationalist parties' attempts to re-configure centre-periphery relations in Spain and elsewhere.
