Ryan Barnes

Ryan Barnes is a Senior International Trade Specialist at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Previously, Ryan held the following positions: Global Research Analyst at Risk Metrics Group, Director of European Affairs at the Eurasia Center, Trade and Industry Analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and Research Assistant at the Center for Defense Information in Brussels, Belgium. Ryan is an avid writer; his articles have appeared in publications such as European Affairs, International Affairs Forum, Central Europe Digest, and Swords and Ploughshares. He is also a keen observer of Spanish politics and nationalism, having studied in Pamplona, Spain and written his M.A. thesis on Basque and Catalan nationalism. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Ohio University and a M.A. in International Affairs/European Studies from American University.
Basque and Catalan Nationalism: An Evolution

Basque and Catalan Nationalism: An Evolution

January 10, 2013

As recent elections bring pro-independence parties into power, Ryan Barnes takes a look back at the history of Basque and Catalan nationalist aspirations. The Crisis of National Identity

Catalonia and the Rise of Economic Separatism in Europe

Catalonia and the Rise of Economic Separatism in Europe

November 16, 2012

As prosperity grows in federal regions of Catalonia and Flanders, nationalist and separatist sentiments are being reinforced, as people seek greater control of their economy in the light of financial crisis.  Massive anti-austerity protests, twenty five percent unemployment and other economic woes are not the only torments of Spain today....