Secession parties prevail
Catalonia’s rebels win a majority
CATALONIA’S independence movement has claimed victory in the region’s election, with parties seeking secession gaining an outright majority in parliament.
It is a dramatic and unexpected result that will have huge impact not just on Spain, but the European Union.
The three separatist parties secured a total of 70 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament, although the centre-right, pro-unionist Citizens party was the single biggest winner with 36 seats.
The outcome is a shattering blow to Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who had called the election with the expectation of reaffirming Madrid’s control over Catalonia with an emphatic victory.
The PM instead now faces the probability of an ongoing confrontation with a separatist coalition once again in power in Barcelona.
Adding to Mr Rajoy’s travails, his Popular Party won only four seats.
Junts Per Catalunya – led by deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont – won 34 seats.
Late on Thursday local time, Mr Puigdemont claimed victory and demanded the release of political prisoners.
“The Spanish state has
been defeated,” he said, without saying whether he would return to Spain.
“Mariano Rajoy has received a slap in the face from Catalonia.”
Mr Rajoy will face pressure and critical scrutiny, not just for gambling on the snap election, but for his heavy-handed response to Mr Puigdemont’s Catalan government holding an independence referendum – the Guardia Civil were sent in and clashes broke out, injuring hundreds of people.
Anger at the violence, as well as the subsequent jailing by Spanish courts of Catalan political leaders, bolstered support for the pro-independence parties and polarised opinion.
This paved the way for a bitter and acrimonious campaign, during which the separatists repeatedly highlighted what they charged was state repression reminiscent of the time of dictator Franco.
A record turnout of more than 80 per cent of the electorate
– 5 per cent more than the previous election two years ago – was expected to help the unionists, with those who did not vote in the referendum on October 1 (declared illegal by the Rajoy government) going to the polls.
But the increased numbers, in fact, helped the separatists.
The possibility still remains that the Citizens Party will demand the first option to form a government.
However, with votes slipping away, it is left with the prospect of setting up a minority administration that is certain to face popular discontent.
The voting in this extraordinary election took place while Mr Puigdemont was in exile in Belgium – with an arrest warrant issued against him by the Madrid government – and the head of fellow separatist party Esquerra Republicana, Oriol Junqueras, was in a Spanish jail.