A big no to independence
The battle over the future of Catalonia has stepped up a gear as Spain’s government tries to exert control over the fractious region.
In one of the most momentous days in recent Spanish history, Spain fired Catalonia’s regional government and dissolved its parliament yesterday after a defiant Catalan declaration of independence that flouted the country’s constitution.
Lawmakers in the Catalan parliament voted to unilaterally declare independence, prompting the swift crackdown by the Spanish government, which has also called an early election in the region.
Hours after Catalonia’s secession move, the Spanish senate granted the government special constitutional powers to stop the wealthy region’s move toward independence. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government then called an urgent cabinet meeting, after which Rajoy emerged to announce the emergency measures, including regional elections called for December 21.
In Barcelona, Catalonia’s regional capital, Rajoy’s announcement in a televised address was greeted with jeers and whistles of disapproval from crowds who had gathered at the gates of the government palace to celebrate their parliament’s moves toward independence.
‘‘It’s not about suspending or meddling in the self-government [of Catalonia], but to return it to normality and legality as soon as possible,’’ Rajoy said.
The government and Spain’s Constitutional Court have both said the secession bid was illegal, and after yesterday’s independence vote, Rajoy said it was a move that ‘‘not only goes against the law but is a criminal act’’.
Rajoy also said he was firing the head of the Catalan regional police, shutting down the Catalan government’s overseas offices, and dismissing its representatives in Madrid and in Brussels, where the European Union has its headquarters.
After the Catalan parliament’s independence vote, Rajoy said it was a move that ‘‘in the opinion of a large majority of people not only goes against the law but is a criminal act’’.
The senate’s decision giving Rajoy special powers trumped the
It’s not about suspending or meddling in the selfgovernment [of Catalonia], but to return it to normality and legality as soon as possible.
Catalan regional parliament’s vote to secede, which was doomed because the Constitutional Court has already consistently ruled against any steps towards independence.
The battle around Catalonia’s future is far from over, however.
Madrid’s move to take away Catalonia’s regional powers is sure to be seen as a humiliation and a provocation by Catalans, and a backlash is expected, with planned street protests and the possibility that regional government workers could follow a policy of disobedience or non-cooperation.
On top of that, the December 21 election could deliver a steadfastly pro-independence Catalan parliament, even if recent polls have suggested that the region of 7.5 million people is roughly evenly split on secession.
Many Catalans strongly oppose independence, and a group of socalled unionists was organising a large-scale protest in Barcelona today.
A spokesman for Spain’s prosecutor’s office, meanwhile, said it would seek to bring rebellion charges against those responsible for the Catalan independence vote.
The tense day, featuring emotional speeches and scenes of joy and despair, went to the heart of Spain’s political and cultural history.
The 1978 constitution, drawn up after the end of General Francisco Franco’s decades-long dictatorship, created a decentralised Spanish state that devolved power to 17 autonomous regions, including Catalonia. The regions have broad administrative and legal powers. The Spanish constitution, however, also describes Spain as ‘‘indivisible’’.
Catalonia has its own cultural traditions and its own language. Having long seen itself as different from the rest of Spain, the Catalan drive for independence began in 2010, when the Constitutional Court struck down key parts of a groundbreaking charter that would have granted the region greater autonomy and recognised it as a nation within Spain.
Catalonia represents a fifth of Spain’s gross domestic product, and many want the tax revenues generated by the prosperous region to remain at home.
The motion to secede was approved by the 135-member Catalan parliament, where secessionists hold a slim majority, with 70 votes in favour. Opposition lawmakers had walked out of the chamber in protest ahead of the vote. After the vote, officials and lawmakers let loose cries of ‘‘Freedom!’.
In an emotional scene, regional leader Carles Puigdemont called on cheering fellow separatists to remain peaceful.
‘‘In the days ahead, we must keep to our values of pacifism and dignity. It’s in our, in your hands, to build the republic,’’ Puigdemont said.
Outside parliament, thousands who had gathered cheered the news, some dancing and raising toasts. In Barcelona, people crowded around TV sets to watch the historic events unfold. The famous Sant Jaume Square outside the regional government office was packed with thousands of people celebrating.
Mariano Rajoy