“The Catalan parliament will adopt the necessary measures to start this democratic process of massive, sustained and peaceful disconnection from the Spanish state”, the resolution, in Catalan, said. Catalan separatists threaten to “disobey” the decision of Madrid’s court. That would set the stage for a test of wills, because the resolution singles out the Constitutional Court as being “delegitimized and without authority”. Barcelona’s Parliament needs to proceed this afternoon with the first round of voting for the new Catalan president. Separatist lawmakers stood up and applauded the victory, which will likely put them on a collision course with the central government and Spain’s highest court.
Advertisement
The resolution aims for Catalonia to become a fully independent republic as early as 2017. He was scheduled to face a no-confidence vote in Catalonia’s parliament late Monday.
“Catalonia is Spain’s economic powerhouse, with a fifth of the country’s GDP”. Pro-independence parties have said they hope to complete the separation process within 18 months.
“My government will not allow this to continue”, he said in a press conference after the vote. “We are very excited about this because it is an official stamp of the beginning to make independence an effective reality”, Anna Arque – Catalan spokesperson for the “European Partnership for Independence” – told Sputnik on Monday. The anti-independence parties are against him, and the CUP said it won’t support Mas because of corruption investigations involving his Convergence Party and his conservative austerity policies.
The resolution also calls for the parliament to start legislating, within the next 30 days, on a Catalan social security system, a treasury, and on laws to create the state institutions that would have to be ready once independence is declared.
Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people in Spain’s northeast, has its own distinctive culture and language. In recent years, as Spain – like much of Europe – has been embroiled in a financial crisis.
A symbolic referendum on independence was held in 2014 with more than 80 percent voting in favor in what Madrid described as an unconstitutional move.
Advertisement
In an unofficial, non-binding referendum held a year ago, Catalonia defied fierce opposition from Madrid and pressed ahead with a vote.
