The Sobremesa Podcast The Sobremesa Podcast

This week Catherine talks to historian Brendan Von Briesen about how the organisation of skilled labour in medieval and early modern Barcelona, in the form of journeyman's guilds, can be seen as the foundation of the city's later labour and trade union movement.

This week Eoghan is joined by historian Andrew Dowling to discuss yesterday's historic Catalan election, which saw a definitive end to the decade long push for independence known as the procés.


For the first time since 2012, the pro-independence parties failed to secure a majority of seats in the new parliament. As the Socialists secured historic gains, the progressive nationalist vote collapsed, with the incumbent ERC suffering heavier than expect losses as  the centre of gravity within the independence bloc also shifted right towards Junts. Yet, it remains far from clear what the exact makeup of the next the Catalan government will be.



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This week Alan is joined by culture critic and researcher Anita Fuentes to discuss Spanish celebrities and politics.

Should celebrities use their platforms to stand up for injustices like the genocide in Palestine and a recent revival in the Spanish MeToo movement?

Furthermore, Rosalia is often claimed to have a progressive image, but is she? From real estate to cultural appropriation much would indicate that she isn't. We look at the reality behind the image of Spain's largest international star today.

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After announcing last Wednesday that he was considering stepping down as Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez revealed this morning he was staying in the job so to fight for "the democratic renewal" of the country. In a move straight out of his favourite TV series Baron Noir, he has orchestrated another theatrical gesture or 'golpe de efecto' so as to rally the Left and upend the current terms of political debate in Spain. If he has regained the initiative, the question is how long will this last?



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This week Eoghan is joined by journalist Ben Wray to discuss last night's Basque elections, which saw historic gains for pro-independentist left EH Bildu - with the new Basque parliament being the most nationalist in 40 years. But Ben argues that this does not mean that independence is any closer but in fact the results reinforces Pedro Sanchez's centrality within the current governing arrangement in Spain.



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This week Eoghan and new co-host Catherine Howley talk to Richard Baxell about his new book 'Forged in Spain' which vividly recounts the lives of the extraordinary men and women who left their families and friends across Britain to risk their lives in the Spanish Civil War.



Richard is a historian and former Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and is currently the International Brigade Memorial Trust's historical consultant. 'Forged in Spain' is available to buy from Clapton Press: https://theclaptonpress.com/forged-in-spain-richard-baxell/



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