Catalonia’s parliament has adopted a declaration of sovereignty. This decision may become the first step towards independence of the Spanish province, the Euronews TV channel reports. The legislators adopted a resolution recognizing the population’s right to decide the status of Catalonia which passed with 85 votes in favor out of 135. The region’s president Artur Mas described the decision as an exceptional event even before the vote began. “It will be a historic vote. Maybe it will not resolve our problems in 24 hours, but it will lead our country towards its destiny,” the channel quoted him as saying. The center-right People’s Party opposes Catalonia’s secession from the Spanish state. According to its regional leader Alicia Sanchez Camacho, “most Catalan people do not want independence, they do not want this secession and disintegration of our country. You are defying the Spanish government,” the outraged politician told her colleagues. Although the declaration of sovereignty has only symbolic value, the Mas government enjoys strong support among the Catalans. Up to half a million people took to the streets to participate in a traditional march for the independence of Catalonia in September 2012.
The Day asked El Pais’s correspondent in Barcelona Maiol Roger to comment on the decision of the Catalan parliament:
“The decision of the Catalan parliament has no legal consequences,” Roger said. “It is rather a political issue, a parliamentary declaration, which means only that the parliament of Catalonia declared its sovereignty over the province. It will make no sense as soon as tomorrow. Spanish history has seen Catalonia vote for a declaration of sovereignty as much as five times before, in 1989, 1998, 2010, 2011 and 2012. They moved a step forward in 2013, and their position is much stronger now. It still has no legal consequences under the Spanish law. At the same time, this vote is a major step towards holding a referendum on independence and Catalonia’s secession from Spain.
“It would all change should Spain pass a law allowing the Catalan government to hold a referendum without the Spanish government’s approval, because currently, no referendum may be held in Spain without the central government’s approval. However, the Spanish government will never allow Catalonia to secede.
“Looking forward from these events, I envision three likely scenarios. One way is preparing a law which would give the Catalan government the right to hold a referendum without the Spanish government’s consent. Another scenario would see the Catalans negotiating with the Spanish government to get its approval to hold the referendum on independence, and then holding it.
“The third option is to create the National Transitional Council of Catalonia, which would include all parties that defend the right of Catalonia to decide its course of action. However, they will still need to come together with the Spanish authorities to resolve the issues now preventing holding of the referendum.”
