In a 72-63 vote, Catalonia’s regional parliament approved a “road map” towards secession, a nine-point plan that moves the region toward becoming an independent nation within 18 months.
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Pro-independence parties in Catalonia, which are gearing up for a vote in their local parliament on whether to begin a process to split from Spain, have put forward a motion calling for a partial renegotiation of the region’s debt to free up cash.
Raul Romeva, head of the pro-secessionist “Together for Yes” alliance, called Monday’s vote a turning point for the history of Catalonia. The groups together obtained a parliamentary majority in regional elections in September that they presented as a stand-in plebiscite on independence after the central government in Madrid refused to allow an official referendum.
The resolution was originally presented to Parliament in October and essentially states, that the “democratic mandate based on the result of the elections held on Sep”. In recent weeks, Rajoy has met with the leaders of Spain’s three other main political parties to establish a united front against Catalan separatists ahead of closely contested nationwide elections December 20. The Spanish constitution says Spain’s unity is indivisible and thus one region can’t break away. Barcelona’s Parliament needs to proceed this afternoon with the first round of voting for the new Catalan president.
Spain’s conservative central government has vowed to immediately ask the Constitutional Court to declare the resolution void if it is passed.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government has declared it will take the matter to the Constitutional Court of Spain if the resolution is passed. They hope to separate from Spain by 2017. The small, far-left separatist CUP party also backs secession. That would set the stage for a test of wills, because the resolution singles out the Constitutional Court as being “delegitimized and without authority”.
“My government will not allow this to continue”, he said in a press conference after the vote.
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In Catalonia, November 9th is an historic date; the day when the autonomous community voted in a self-organised independence referendum. “I understand the anxiety that many Catalans can fee, but to all of them I say you can rest easy”.
