Catalan leaders call for independence from Spain

As of right now, the political status of the Spanish region of Catalonia is somewhat unclear. The citizens of Catalonia have been gearing up an independence campaign for some time, and finally on October first, the Catalan government held an independence referendum. Despite opposition from the Spanish federal government, who denounced the referendum as illegal in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the referendum was held. It resulted in overwhelming approval of Catalan independence. Over 90% of voters were in favor of seceding from Spain. Despite what seemed like a major victory for the movement, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, refused to accept the results of the referendum, again citing the Spanish Constitution as a means to not permit Catalonia the choice to leave Spain. Rajoy specifically asked the Catalan government if the “yes vote” meant they were officially declaring independence (with political threats implied), and Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, did not give a clear answer for some time. On October 27th, the Parliament of Catalonia finally gave their clear answer in the form of an official declaration of independence from Spain. Rajoy responded promptly, by officially dissolving the Parliament of Catalonia and calling for an election in December for a new Parliament.

Catalonia, an autonomous community of Spain (Spain’s autonomous communities can be compared to our country’s states), lies on the Spanish-French border. Home to the city of Barcelona, Catalonia contains its own unique culture, very separate from the rest of Spain’s. It even has its own language. Being the most visited region in Spain, Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia rake in mounds of tourist money. For example, Costa Brava is a seaside region which contains many seaside resorts that garners tourists from all over the world. Additionally, Catalonia is home to many historical attractions, which make it a prime destination for those visiting Spain. In general, Catalan tourism provides a significant chunk of Spain’s national income. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the immense Catalan tax revenue is one of the Spanish government’s main reasons for not wanting to let the region go.

Catalonia was birthed in the 11th century, and eventually became part of the Kingdom of Aragon. It remained this way until the uniting of Spain in the 15th century, in which the marriage of King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile caused a merge between their territories. Catalonia remained a region of this unified country for centuries. However, Catalan culture began to decline somewhat, until around the 19th century when it began to flow back into the region. Autonomy was granted to the region in 1931, when Spain became a republic, but this changed quickly when Francisco Franco took over the country. Upon gaining leadership over all of Spain, Franco promptly revoked Catalonia’s autonomy, and banned the use of the Catalan language. This remained the situation until Franco’s death and the resulting return of democracy to Spain in 1975, at which point Catalonia regained autonomy and was allowed its own local parliament. There has been a long history of desire for Catalan independence, and the referendum this October was not the first. Catalan citizens have been unhappy with the central Spanish government’s economic practices for years, and an independence vote took place in 2014. Much like the 2017 referendum, it was declared unconstitutional by the Spanish government.

It is important to note that it does not seem that many countries are preparing to recognize Catalonia as a separate nation, likely out of fear that their own regions will attempt similar movements. For example, Britain in particular seems unlikely to show any support of the movement, given the fairly recent Scottish movement to break away from the United Kingdom. Finland, however, seems like it may be the first country to acknowledge Catalonia’s pronounced independence, as the Finnish MP has claimed his intent to submit a motion to parliament to recognize Catalonia as its own country. Should this go through, it would cause colossal conflict with the rest of Europe, since the EU as a whole has been in favor of a unified Spain.

Right now, Catalonia’s position is up for debate; the Catalan government now sees themselves as their own, independent nation. The central Spanish government, however, refuses to accept their declaration of independence, and still acknowledges Catalan as a Spanish territory. Many people are fearing the potential threat of physical violence amidst the political chaos. Whatever happens, however, it will likely be many months, or even years, before the situation finally resolves itself.