Civil proindependence associations are playing an increasingly significant role in Catalonia's independence movement, putting pressure on the Catalan government to work decisively towards independence. This has led many Catalans to characterize the movement as a äóìbottom-upäó phenomenon. This contribution an- alyzes the shifting power dynamics within mainstream Catalan nationalism over the last decade, challenging simplistic notions of äóìtop-downäó and äóìbottom-upäó pressures for change. In fact, the movement is now inherently multidimensionaläóîpartly thanks to the pivotal role of the cultural elites and their grasp of the power of newmediaäóîand this in itself accounts in large part for its success.