# Modern patriotism: a radical-centre proposal for Spain's 12 October > The radical centre proposes a modern patriotism for 12 October, Spain's National Day: pride in what we share and what we do together, with the Constitution, the language and newcomers at its heart. We borrow three ideas from our neighbours: Germany's touring, open festival of institutions, Portugal Day celebrated with communities abroad, and France's welcome ceremony for new citizens. From them we propose a National Day that rotates around Spain's regions, a public citizenship oath on 12 October and a celebration of the language with Spaniards and Spanish speakers worldwide. - URL: https://www.radicalcentre.eu/en/articles/hispanic-heritage-day-spain-12-october-radical-centre - Language: en - Publisher: radical centre / centro radical - Published: 2026-10-12 - Topic: Ideas & history - Author: radical centre - Licence: CC BY 4.0 ## Key points - Modern patriotism: pride in what we share and what we do together, looking forward and bringing everyone in. - Germany holds its Unity Day celebrations each year in the state that chairs the Bundesrat, with a huge citizens' festival of institutions. - Portugal celebrates 10 June with its communities abroad too, with official events outside the country since 2016. - France has welcomed its new citizens with a public ceremony since 2006. - We propose a touring National Day, a public citizenship oath on 12 October and a festival of the language with Spaniards around the world. We propose a modern patriotism for Spain. Pride in what we share today and what we do together: a Constitution that has given us almost half a century of democracy, institutions that belong to everyone, a language spoken by hundreds of millions of people, public services we all pay for, and the people who arrive and decide to stay. A patriotism that looks forward, needs no enemies and no nostalgia, and has room for anyone, whoever they vote for. 12 October, Spain's National Day, is the best place to start. The law that made it the national holiday in 1987 already pointed this way. It speaks of a Spain built out of its cultural and political plurality that carries its language and culture beyond Europe, and it plainly acknowledges the complexity of the country's past. Plurality, language and an open outlook: with those materials you can do much more than a military parade and a long weekend. Nobody needs to invent anything. Our neighbours already do it. ## Germany: the festival that travels After the war, Germany had to rebuild national pride on a new foundation. In 1979, on the 30th anniversary of the Basic Law, the political scientist Dolf Sternberger coined a phrase that stuck: constitutional patriotism. Jürgen Habermas took it up years later. Loyalty to the democratic constitution and its institutions as a way of loving your country, compatible with national feeling. The celebration reflects it. On 3 October, German Unity Day, the central festivities are held each year in the state that chairs the Bundesrat, the chamber of the federal states. In 2027 it's North Rhine-Westphalia's turn, in Düsseldorf: three days of citizens' festival in the city centre, with all sixteen states and the federal government presenting themselves to the public, stages, music, volunteer groups and food from every region. Unity and federalism on the same street. ## Portugal: a day for a poet and for those who left On 10 June Portugal celebrates Portugal, Camões and Portuguese Communities Day. Its national day is named after a poet, Luís de Camões, author of *The Lusiads*, and after the Portuguese who live abroad. Since 2016, at President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's initiative, the official ceremonies are split between Portugal and a city of the diaspora: that year Lisbon and Paris; the next, Porto, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. A country that celebrates itself wherever its people are. ## France: welcoming new citizens Since a 2006 law, people who become French are invited to a welcome ceremony at the prefecture, normally within six months. They receive a letter from the President of the Republic, a booklet on citizens' rights and duties, the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man, extracts from the Constitution and the words of the Marseillaise. Becoming French is a public act, with your family watching. ## What we propose for Spain **A National Day that travels.** The parade and the reception in Madrid stay as they are. And every year, in turn, one autonomous community also hosts a big three-day citizens' festival, with stands from every region and from Ceuta and Melilla, from Parliament, the government and the public services: the military emergency unit, hospitals, firefighters, researchers from the national research council, the Guardia Civil teams who rescue climbers. One year Barcelona, then Bilbao, then Santiago, then Seville. Spain celebrating itself in all its plurality, with the people who make it work explaining what they do. **The citizenship oath, on 12 October.** Spain's Civil Code already requires anyone acquiring Spanish nationality to swear or promise loyalty to the King and obedience to the Constitution and the laws. Today it is usually done at a counter. We propose turning it into a ceremony: every 12 October, in town halls, with family, the mayor, a copy of the Constitution and the anthem. There are plenty of people to welcome: on 1 July this year, according to Spain's statistics office (INE), 3.37 million Spanish citizens had been born abroad. **A festival of the language and of Spaniards around the world.** As Portugal does, take part of the celebration to where our people live. More than 3.2 million Spaniards live abroad, 60% of them in the Americas. One year Buenos Aires, then Mexico City, then Paris or London. And open it to the whole Spanish-speaking world, with the Instituto Cervantes hosting in its centres. **And a question for everyone.** On Saturday, at the launch of [Democracia 21](/en/articles/democracia-21-miriam-gonzalez-proposals-radical-centre), Miriam González called for a modern patriotism: asking what each of us does for the country here and now. We like the question. 12 October can also be the day volunteers, associations and public servants open their doors, and everyone signs up for something. Both of the Spains that eye each other warily every October fit into this proposal. Whoever wants pride, unity and respect for the symbols gets them, in the street and with the flag. Whoever wants a plural country open to newcomers gets that too. And almost all of it can be done under the law we already have: it just needs organising. ## FAQ ### What is modern patriotism? Pride in the country built on what we share today (the Constitution, institutions, language, public services) and what we do together. It looks forward, includes newcomers and celebrates Spain's plurality. Germany has talked of constitutional patriotism since Dolf Sternberger coined the term in 1979. ### What does the radical centre propose for 12 October? That the National Day rotate each year to a different autonomous community with an open citizens' festival of institutions, that new Spaniards take their citizenship oath that day in a public ceremony, and that the language be celebrated with Spaniards abroad and the whole Spanish-speaking world. ### What do other European countries do on their national day? Germany celebrates 3 October in the state chairing the Bundesrat, with a large citizens' festival. Portugal dedicates 10 June to Camões and its communities abroad, with events outside the country too. France holds public welcome ceremonies for people who become citizens. ## Sources - [Ley 18/1987, de 7 de octubre, que establece el día de la Fiesta Nacional de España en el 12 de octubre](https://www.congreso.es/constitucion/ficheros/leyes_espa/l_018_1987.pdf), Congreso de los Diputados (1987) - [Verfassungspatriotismus im vereinten Deutschland](https://www.bpb.de/shop/zeitschriften/apuz/31878/verfassungs-patriotismus-im-vereinten-deutschland/), Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung - [Tag der Deutschen Einheit 2027 in Nordrhein-Westfalen](https://www.land.nrw/brp), Land Nordrhein-Westfalen (2026) - [Portugal Day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal_Day), Wikipedia - [Cérémonie d'accueil dans la citoyenneté française](https://www.justice.fr/fiche/ceremonie-accueil-citoyennete-francaise), Ministère de la Justice - [Código Civil, artículos 22 y 23](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1889-4763), BOE - [Estadística Continua de Población, segundo trimestre de 2026](https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/en/ECP2T26.htm), INE (2026) - [Padrón de Españoles Residentes en el Extranjero a 1 de enero de 2026](https://ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/PERE2026.htm), INE (2026)