War in Europe, inflation, broken pro-independence alliance, and espionage: a look back at 2022

Many things can happen in just 365 days, and in 2022, Catalans showed their will to help those in need once again when the first war in Europe in years broke out in late February. 

The past year has also seen locals organize protests against changes to the education system and against hosting a potential Winter Olympic Games here.

But these are just a few examples of a year that has seen major changes in politics marked by a split among Catalan pro-independence parties and an espionage case that targeted up to four presidents of Catalonia. 

Check out our look back at the past year from a Catalan perspective below.

From February 24 - War in Europe: Ukrainian refugees reach Catalonia

On February 24, Russian forces started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, millions have suffered the consequences, including nearly 37,000 Ukrainians who settled in Catalonia this year. 

Hundreds of volunteers and institutions showed solidarity while the Ukrainian community rallied for peace. The first war in Europe pushed dozens of citizens to travel to the border between Ukraine and Poland to try to help as much as possible, bringing clothes, food, and other materials, and by bringing refugees to their new homes.

All year round - Inflation: constantly breaking records

Summer holidays arrived with never-before-seen levels of inflation, skyrocketing since the start of the war in Ukraine. July marked the peak in Catalonia when official figures registered an inflation rate of 10.3%. Since then, the rate of change of prices has started to lower after several measures to tackle the energy crisis and the cost of living were introduced. 

An Iberian peninsula exception to limit the price of gas was agreed with European authorities. The price of public transport was half or fully subsidized, depending on the journey, while a discount of 20-cent discount per liter was put on the price of fuel for the majority of the year. After hitting all-time highs, inflation has dropped to its lowest level since the start of the year, and the energy price is also reaching a low similar to the prices recorded in May 2021.

February 16 - 'Alcarràs': international recognition for Catalan cinema

Filmmaker Carla Simón became a Catalan cinema legend when she received the 2022 Golden Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival for her second feature length film 'Alcarràs.' The movie has become the production of the year in Catalonia, as it boosted Catalan-speaking cinema and gave recognition to the rural world of the western Lleida region. 

While the film was chosen as Spain's entry to compete in the Oscars, it was ultimately not shortlisted to compete in the category of Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. 'Alcarràs' tells the story of the last fruit harvest a family goes through on their farm where they have cultivated peaches for generations, before leaving the land after the owners decide to install solar panels. 

April 18 - Catalangate: independence leaders spied on

Over 60 Catalan pro-independence figures had their phones targeted with spyware, according to a report published by The New Yorker magazine and the University of Toronto-based tech crime research group Citizen Lab. The victims include all Catalan presidents since 2010, MEPs, civil society activists, and lawyers. 

The crisis opened a new confrontation between the Catalan and Spanish governments after the investigation pointed out that the perpetrators were within the Spanish authorities. A few weeks later, the Spanish PM and other cabinet members announced they had been victims of another spyware attack. Revelations of Catalangate pushed the head of the Spanish National Intelligence agency (CNI) to tackle the issue in Congress, where she recognized some of the targets had been approved by a judge. She was later sacked.

April 20 - Mask mandate removed: People smile again

"It's cool because everyone in our class are able to see each other's faces again," Gil Guadall, a primary school student, said when the indoor mask mandate was lifted as the pandemic picture improved through the year. 

It was the first time after 699 days that wearing a mask was no longer mandatory indoors, letting people to smile again. "It has been a long time since we last saw each other," Guadall added. Later, concerts and mass gatherings returned to normality in a summer that saw hundreds of gigs across Catalonia.

August 30 - Deadly hail: Bisbal d'Empordà's climate change warning

Emergency services assisted 67 people in La Bisbal d'Empordà after hailstones bigger than 10cm resulted in the death of a toddler. On that day, police and emergency services helped dozens of injured locals after car windows and roofs were hit. 

In a matter of minutes, residents in the northern town of Baix Empordà county saw how climate change affected a normal peaceful summer afternoon. Due to the climate emergency, experts believe there will be more frequent and extreme rainstorms in the future.

October 4 - Paradiso bar: World's best bar

Moving up from third to first position, Barcelona's Paradiso is now considered the Best Bar in the world. In a ceremony held in the Catalan capital, a bar from outside London or New York City became the world's best bar for the first time in history. Two other bars in the city were also named in the top ten, with Sips coming 3rd and Two Schmucks ranking 7th placing.

October 7 - Catalan independence: allies break up

'Triumphant, Catalonia'; the Catalan anthem begins, but while pro-independence leaders sing it together, they no longer share the same vision of a path towards independence. In early October, junior coalition partner Junts decided to leave the cabinet, ending cooperation between the two main parties in favor of splitting from Spain that has been ongoing for a decade. 

The break-up started with the threat of a motion of confidence in the president and the subsequent sacking of Junts' highest ranking member in the cabinet, Jordi Puigneró. Junts's president Laura Borràs considered that "President Pere Aragonès's government is a failed one," before adding that the government had "lost democratic legitimacy."

October 17 - Alexia Putellas's crowning glory

FC Barcelona star Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d'Or for the second year in a row. The Catalan midfielder was instrumental in her team's historic season, which saw Barça complete a perfect league campaign of 30 wins from 30 games. 

The team built a special bond with its fans and twice broke the World Record for highest attendance at an official women's football match. Barça won the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, and Spanish Super Cup this year, but lost the Champions League final against Lyon. 

Meanwhile, the men's team team came up short on all fronts, were knocked out of the group stage of the Champions League for a second consecutive year, and saw legendary defender Gerard Piqué retire.

October 31 - Chocolate champion: Catalonia's sweetest craftsperson

Hidden between chocolate bars and a life-sized chocolate elephant, Lluc Crusellas, the head pastry chef of the El Carme shop in Vic, central Catalonia, was named the world's finest chocolate craftsperson. The 26-year-old had been preparing for the event for a year after he had previously won the national award.

November 10 - Sedition: Spain scraps 200-year-old crime

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced in November that the crime of sedition would disappear from the Spanish penal code. Later during the parliamentary procedure, politicians added amendments that also lowered the punishment for misuse of public funds. Both changes mean that the 2017 referendum leaders may see their sentences cut due to the Spanish and Catalan governments' talks in July.

December 23 - Joan Manuel Serrat: singing his goodbyes

Almost six decades of performing live for Joan Manuel Serrat came to a close this year. The Catalan singer-songwriter bid farewell to his fans with a final concert at Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi, the last one of a series of three in a week. 

Serrat, who has not ruled out composing more songs and even recording more albums in the future, made clear that he wanted the gig to be "a party" rather than an event of sadness and nostalgia.