By Keerthana Chavaly
Catalonia is one of the most developed and industrialised regions of Spain that has gained attention internationally for its fight for independence from the nation. On 1st October, around nine hundred citizens in Catalonia were injured when police were sent from the Spanish government to stop a referendum on independence.
Though only 2.3 million out of 5.3 million people voted, 90% of the voters voted for independence. A Catalan president was declared – Carles Puigdemont.
Spanish PM asks: Have you declared independence?
The prime minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, asked Catalonia to announce a declaration independence, if finalised, within eight days. Rajoy stated, “The cabinet has agreed this morning to formally require the Catalan government to confirm whether it has declared independence after the deliberate confusion created over whether it has come into effect.”
He continued, “This request, which comes before any of the measures that the government could adopt under article 155 of our constitution, is meant to offer our citizens the clarity and security that such an important issue requires.”
Article 155: Overtaking regional autonomy
If Catalonia fails to remain a part of Spain and stops its efforts for independence, Rajoy will invoke article 155, an unprecedented move in Spanish history. Article 155 allows the Spanish government to overtake the autonomy of a region if it “does not fulfil the obligations imposed upon it by the constitution or other laws, or acts in a way that is seriously prejudicial to the general interest of Spain”.
Rajoy also said, “If Mr Puigdemont demonstrates a willingness to respect the law and re-establish institutional normality, we could bring a close to a period of instability, tension and the breakdown of co-existence.“
Catalonia is already autonomous under Spain but the invocation of Article 155 will be a serious blow to the Catalonian government. Decades of negotiations will become completely useless and tensions, which are already high between Catalonia and Spain, could cause the volatile situation to turn violent.
Unconstitutional demands?
Catalonia is a region with its own language and customs and is also one of the most prosperous regions in Spain. It contributes economically to Spain more than twice what Scotland contributes to the U.K and forms 20% of Spain’s economic output. Catalans have been demanding some measure of independence since it became a part of the state of Spain.
The Spanish government fiercely opposes the demand for independence, declaring that this demand is unconstitutional. The Spanish constitution of 1978 does not contain any provisions on the right to vote for self-determination.
In fact, The Guardian reported, “In March this year, the former Catalan president Artur Mas was banned from holding public office for two years after being found guilty of disobeying the constitutional court by holding a symbolic independence referendum three years ago.”
What happens at home stays at home
The prime minister of Spain has also opposed any help from external mediators to help resolve the situation, stating that the problem is internal to the country. He said, “We must put an urgent end to the situation in Catalonia. There must be a return to normality and calm as swiftly as possible.”
The president of Catalonia, however, has temporarily delayed independence and called for dialogue between the two parties.
Featured Image Source: La Moncloa – Gobierno de España via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-ND
Stay updated with all the insights.
Navigate news, 1 email day.
Subscribe to Qrius
