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Spain in crisis E
vents in Spain have made global news headlines this weekend as Catalonia declared itself an independent country and no longer part of Spain and the Spanish Parliament responded by invoking Article 155 and assuming control of the autonomous region. The Spanish Prime Minster Mariano Rajoy effectively sacked all members of the Catalan Parliament and called a regional election for 21st December. On Friday, the Catalan regional parliament voted to declare independence
from Spain with Catalan MPs approving the move amid an opposition boycott. In response Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had told senators direct rule was needed to return "law, democracy and stability" to Catalonia. The crisis began earlier this month when Catalonia held a controversial referendum on independence. The Catalan government said that of the 43 pecent of potential voters who took part, 90 percent were in favour of independence. But Spain's Constitutional Court had ruled the vote illegal. A motion declaring independence was
approved on Friday with 70 in favour, 10 against, and two abstentions in the 135-seat chamber. The measure calls for the transfer of legal powers from Spain to an independent Catalonia. But the Spanish Constitutional Court is likely to declare it illegal, while the US, UK, Germany and France all expressed support for Spanish unity. European Commission chief JeanClaude Juncker said the EU "doesn't need any more cracks, more splits". Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has called for supporters to "maintain the momentum" in a peaceful manner. Crowds have been celebrating the declaration of independence and Spanish flags have been removed from some regional government buildings in Catalonia. The proindependence crowd outside the parliament followed the session vote by vote. Some had their mobile phones on speaker, to allow listeners at the other end a taste of the atmosphere. The crowd met every Yes vote with a cheer - and every No with a boo. At the end, there was a huge cheer. But around the corner, away from the demonstration, views were different as people lamented that the referendum was
CostaBlancaPeople 31st October - 6th November 2017
a “manipulation which does not reflect the will of the Catalan people." Soon after the vote at the regional parliament, the Senate - Spain's upper house - made the unprecedented step of approving measures allowing the Spanish government to impose direct rule over Catalonia. There were 214 votes in favour and 47 against. Urging calm, Mr Rajoy said: "Spain is a serious country, it is a great nation and we are not prepared in any way to allow some people to liquidate our constitution." Spain dismissed Catalonia's president and Cabinet, and dissolved its Parliament hours after lawmakers in the autonomous region defied Madrid and voted to declare independence. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called new elections and fired the Catalan police chief, as part of an unprecedented package of measures to seize control of the renegade administration in Barcelona. He said the moves were needed to restore legality, after a political and constitutional crisis that has gripped the country for months. The day’s dramatic and fast-moving events pushed Spain into uncharted
territory, testing the limits of the constitution drawn up after the restoration of democracy in the 1970s. The office of Spain’s prosecutor general meanwhile confirmed it would file a lawsuit Continued on page 3
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