The Catalonia parliament declared the nation’s independence from Spain today in a 70 to 10 vote. The government of Spain, located in Madrid, immediately declared the split to be unconstitutional.
Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister of Spain, announced the dismissal of the Catalonia government and the dissolution of its parliament. The Spanish government declared that the election of a new Catalonia government would take place on December 21 of this year. Immediately following Catalonia’s vote to secede, the Spanish government passed controversial Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, which legalized the act of Spanish resumption of exclusively governing the Catalan people.
For generations, Catalonia has operated independently of the Spanish government, controlling its own health care, police force, and government. Economically, though, it is inextricably tied to Madrid through its tax payments to the Spanish government. Catalonia is also the most popular tourist attraction of all Spanish regions. The economic limitation placed on Catalans by Spanish taxation has been a major impetus for succession for many years.
Catalonia has remained an autonomous state with its own distinct culture and language for decades since Spain embraced democracy in 1978. When Spain has fallen into economic crisis through the years, many Catalans have felt that their country has been dragged unjustly down with Spain. Since the 2006 agreement of general Catalan autonomy between the two governments, Madrid has been rescinding pieces of Catalan autonomy–exacerbating pro-independence sentiments in Catalonia.
On October 1, the Catalan people voted in a mass referendum for independence from Spain. About forty percent of the population voted, and the day was marked by violence and fear. The Spanish government dispatched police forces to Catalonia to stop the referendum, and the police officers utilized brute force and violence to prevent Catalans from voting on independence. Some citizens were recorded been flung downstairs and shoved out of buildings by Spanish police. Of those that voted, ninety percent desired independence, according to the Catalan government. Catalan president Carlos Puigdemont announced that the Catalan government will declare independence soon after the votes are counted if the majority of Catalans desire secession.
Global powers have publicly opposed Catalonia’s move toward independence. Representatives of Belgium, Germany, Britain, and the United States, among others, have announced their support of the Spanish government, and pleas for peaceful, nonviolent negotiation were common among the announcements.
“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Spain are and always will be inviolable,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesperson Steffen Seibert said in a Twitter statement on Friday. “We hope that those involved will use all available opportunities for dialogue and de-escalation.”
It is unclear how the Catalan government will react to the Spanish takeover announced on Friday. Some Catalan police forces have claimed that they will ignore all Spanish orders while President Puigdemont pleads with global leadership to acknowledge Catalan independence. Although polls show that not all Catalans want independence.
On the day of the parliament vote, thousands of Catalans could be seen weeping, laughing and marching in the streets of Barcelona, chanting, “Republic now!”
