L'independant: 'Le parlement catalan prêt à déclarer son indépendance' #France #Nouvelles #EU #Politics



Les deux groupes indépendantistes majoritaires aux Parlement de Catalogne (Junts pel Si et la Cup) se sont mis d'accord, ce mardi matin, sur le lancement du processus d'indépendance. Un texte a été rédigé par lequel le parlement pourrait déclarer l'indépendance de la Catalogne.

Aussitôt, le président du gouvernement espagnol, Mariano Rajoy, a réagi en convoquant une conférence de presse pour une déclaration solennelle. "Deux groupes élus, favorables à l'indépendance, mais qui n'ont pas obtenu la majorité des voix, ont présenté une proposition contraire à la constitution, à la loi, aux votes des Catalans, à la démocratie et à la volonté de tout le peuple espagnol. C'est un acte de provocation qui veut violer la loi parce qu'elle n'est pas de leur côté mais qui n'aura aucun effet. Nous n'agirons que dans le cadre de la loi et le gouvernement que je préside mettra tout en oeuvre pour que cette proposition ne voit jamais le jour. Nous mettrons en oeuvre tous les arguments politiques et judiciaires pour l'intérêt général de l'Espagne."

Le parlement catalan a été installé hier avec à sa tête Carme Forcadell, indépendantiste convaincue. Pour les Catalans, le manque de dialogue avec Madrid les pousse à déclarer leur indépendance dans un "acte d'obéissance au peuple catalan". Neus Munté, la porte-parole du gouvernement catalan, a indiqué que le parlement "espérait un peu de respect de la part du gouvernement espagnol et constate une menace. Nous ferons notre possible pour respecter le mandat démocratique que nous avons reçu des Catalans".

La traduction du texte:

"Le parlement catalan

Premièrement - Constatant que le mandat démocratique obtenu lors des élections du 27 septembre est basé sur une majorité de sièges des forces parlementaires qui avaient pour objectif que la Catalogne devienne indépendante avec une large majorité souverainiste en voix et en sièges permet l'ouverture d'un processus constituant non subordonné.

Deuxièmement - Déclare solennellement le début du processus de création d'un état catalan indépendant sous la forme d'une république.

Troisièmement - Proclame l'ouverture d'un processus constituant, citoyen, participatif, ouvert, intégrant et actif pour préparer les bases de la future constitution catalane.

Quatrièmement - Incite le futur gouvernement (catalan) à rendre effectif ces déclarations.

Cinquièmement - Considère pertinent d'initier dans 30 jours maximum la rédaction des lois du processus constituant de sécurité sociale et de finances publiques.

Sixièmement - en tant que dépositaire de la souveraineté et de la puissance d'expression constituant, il réitère que ce Parlement et le processus de déconnexion de l'Etat espagnol ne soumettront pas aux décisions des intitutions espagnoles en particulier, le tribunal constitutionnel qu'il considère comme illégitime et sans compétence suite, entre autres, à sa décision de juin  2010 sur le statut d'autonomie de la Catalogne voté par le peuple lors d'un référendum.

Septièmement - Adoptera les mesures nécessaires pour ouvrir ce processus de déconnexion démocratique, massif, subi et pacifique avec l'état espagnol de telle manière qu'il permettra l'autonomie des citoyens à tous les niveaux et en particulier dans une participation active, ouverte et intégrée.

Huitièmement - Incite le futur gouvernement (catalan) à accomplir exclusivement ces normes et mandats émanants de cette chambre, légitime et démocratique afin de garantir les droits fondamentaux qui pourraient être affectés par des décisions des instances de l'état espagnol.

Neuvièmement - Déclare la volonté d'initier les négociations pour rendre effectif le mandat démocratique de la création d'un Etat catalan indépendant sous forme de république et, également, de le faire savoir à l'Etat espagnol, à l'Union européenne et à la communauté internationale."

Reuters: 'Catalan parties start independence roadmap, Rajoy vows to block it' #News #Politics #USA #EU



Catalan separatists launched their so-called roadmap for independence on Tuesday, offering a declaration in the regional parliament to split Catalonia from Spain, which Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has vowed to block.

The local assembly is expected to approve the declaration by Nov. 9. According to the secessionist plan, it will be followed by a constituent process that will lead to full independence within 18 months,

Spain's constitution does not allow any region to break away, so the prospect remains highly hypothetical.

In a short televised statement, Rajoy said he and his government would ensure the declaration has no effect.

"The state may use any available judicial and political mechanism contained in the constitution and in the laws to defend the sovereignty of the Spanish people and of the general interest of Spain," Rajoy said. "Those who want to divide and split Catalonia from Spain must know that they will not succeed."

Pro-independence parties last month won a majority of seats in Catalonia's parliament. That election set the region on a collision course with Spain's central government over independence, less than two months before a general election.

(Reporting by Julien Toyer)

Catalonia elects the first pro-independence parliament in its history #News #Politics #USA #EU



Today was a day of historic significance for Catalonia. This is the first time in its history that Catalonia elects a parliament than enjoys a pro-independence majority both in number of seats and in its leadership. The speaker of the new parliament will be Carme Forcadell, the former president of the civil society group Catalan National Assembly, who only three years ago, after a massive pro-independence rally of Catalonia's National Day, asked members of parliament to launch a process toward secession from Spain. As of today, Forcadell will preside over the chamber during a legislative period that should mark the transition to the Catalan Republic, provided independence forces are able to work together.

Forcadell was proclaimed president of the Catalan parliament with 77 votes in favour, five more than the 72 votes that Junts pel Sí and CUP, the two secessionist political forces, were able to deliver together. The remaining five votes came from Catlunya Sí que es Pot, a party that supports a referendum but is not itself pro-independence.

Forcadell began her first speech as president by saying that she would strive to lead a parliament that represents all citizens, 'regardless of the language they speak, where they come from, what they believe, and who they vote for.' She also made reference to the exceptional context in which the new parliament comes into being.

However, she was very clear as to the nature of the legislative period that begins now and what its goal is: 'The autonomic period is over and we are launching a new scenario for tomorrow. It is a foundational moment. Starting now, we are building a sovereign parliament that wants to represent a free territory. Let us build a free country of free citizens, let us be a role model'.

Junts pel Sí and CUP were able to reach an agreement to elect Forcadell, but they have not yet agreed on who should be the next president of the Catalan government. The parliamentary debate to elect a new president is scheduled for 9 November, exactly one year after the unofficial referendum on independence from Spain was held. The parties are mired in a contentious negotiation, as CUP refuses to support Mas as president, saying that the new president should provide a clean break with the previous political period and cannot be someone who has had any role in the cutbacks on social spending. For its part, Junts pel Sí does not appear willing to sacrifice president Artur Mas, a figure it deems essential to the independence process.

If the two parties are not able to reach an agreement, parliament will have a maximum of two months to elect a president. During this time, as many debates as needed will take place. The deadline to elect a president is 9-10 January, at which point, in accordance with the law, if no agreement is in place, parliament will be dissolved and elections called.

Katalanenpräsident Mas wegen Unabhängigkeitsreferendums vor Gericht #politik #usa #deutschland #eu #news



Nach dem Sieg des Unabhängigkeitslagers bei der Regionalwahl in Katalonien hat Regionalpräsident Artur Mas vor Gericht erscheinen müssen. Er erschien dort in Begleitung von etwa 400 Politikern seiner Partei. Hunderte Anhänger unterstützten ihn mit Sprechchören.

Der Präsident der spanischen Region Katalonien, Artur Mas (in der Mitte auf der Treppe) erscheint vor dem Obersten Ge

(sda) Der Politiker muss sich seit Donnerstag vor dem Obersten Gericht Kataloniens nach dem symbolischen Unabhängigkeitsreferendum vom November vergangenen Jahres wegen zivilen Ungehorsams, Machtmissbrauchs und Veruntreuung öffentlicher Gelder verantworten.

Die Vorladung hatte Mas unmittelbar nach der Regionalwahl Ende September erhalten. Bei der Abstimmung hatten die Unabhängigkeitsbefürworter in der wirtschaftsstarken nordspanischen Region die absolute Mehrheit gewonnen. Mas erklärte umgehend, an seinen Plänen einer Unabhängigkeit festzuhalten, was die spanische Regierung in Madrid unbedingt verhindern will.

Ermittlungen gegen Mas waren nach dem symbolischen Referendum vom 9. November aufgenommen worden. Ihm wird vorgeworfen, mit dem Referendum das Gesetz gebrochen zu haben. Mas und weiteren Beschuldigten droht ein Ämterverbot. Die Regionalregierung spricht von einem "politischen Prozess" und verurteilt das Vorgehen der Justiz.

Spaniens Verfassungsgericht hatte auf Antrag der Regierung in Madrid im vergangenen Jahr ein rechtlich bindendes Referendum untersagt. Die Justiz argumentierte, dass dabei über eine Frage abgestimmt werden solle, die die Einheit des Landes betreffe - und das falle nicht in den Kompetenzbereich der Regionalregierung.

Stattdessen fand mit Hilfe von 41'000 Freiwilligen ein symbolisches Referendum statt. Die Regionalregierung hatte dabei die Auflage, sich nicht an der Organisation zu beteiligen. Sie unterstützte die Abstimmung jedoch, indem sie Schulen als Wahllokale bereitstellte, online über die Abstimmung informierte und Polizisten einsetzte.

Dazu seien öffentliche Gelder genutzt worden, argumentiert die Justiz. An der Volksbefragung beteiligten sich damals 2,3 der etwa 5,5 Millionen Wahlberechtigten. Zwar stimmten gut 80 Prozent der Beteiligten für eine Abspaltung, es waren aber deutlich weniger als die Hälfte der Stimmberechtigten.

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Liberation: "Catalogne: Mas devant la justice pour sa «rébellion démocratique»" #nouvelles #eu #usa #politic #france



Le président catalan Artur Mas a comparu jeudi devant la justice pour avoir organisé un référendum sur l'indépendance, sans valeur légale et interdit mais qu'il a pleinement assumé, dénonçant un procès «politique».

Devant les magistrats du tribunal supérieur de justice de la Catalogne (Cour d'appel), il a dit «être responsable de tout», a-t-il expliqué lors d'une conférence de presse à l'issue de cette audition où la justice lui a notifié son inculpation pour «désobéissance civile» notamment.

M. Mas, qui a refusé de répondre aux questions du parquet (représentant l'Etat espagnol) a assuré qu'en organisant cette consultation il avait défendu la «liberté idéologique» et «la liberté d'expression».

Auparavant, il avait quitté avec solennité le tribunal supérieur de justice de Catalogne (cour d'appel) à Barcelone, en fendant une foule de quelque 3.000 sympathisants, a rapporté un journaliste de l'AFP.

Il s'est arrêté sur les marches et, entouré de membres de son exécutif, mais aussi du Parlement régional, de dirigeants indépendantistes, il a chanté l'hymne catalan, un geste de défi à l'égard du pouvoir espagnol.

Le chef du gouvernement conservateur Mariano Rajoy a jugé «inacceptable» la manifestation, estimant qu'il s'agissait de «menaces» au pouvoir judiciaire, des déclarations à des journalistes à Bruxelles retransmises par la télévision.

L'audience était présentée par ses partisans comme une tentative de plus de réprimer le sécessionnisme, même si la cour a attendu que les élections régionales en Catalogne, remportées par les indépendantistes, soient passées pour lancer la convocation aux fins d'inculpation.

«A bas la justice espagnole», ont crié des sympathisants de M. Mas devant le tribunal.

Hasard du calendrier, le rendez-vous judiciaire a été fixé pour le jeudi 15 octobre, date anniversaire importante pour les partisans de la séparation d'avec l'Espagne : c'est le jour de la mort de leur héros LLuis Companys, fusillé par des soldats du dictateur Francisco Franco au château de Montjuic, une forteresse militaire, il y a 75 ans.

Lluis Companys, président catalan à l'époque, avait, six ans plus tôt, proclamé un éphémère «Etat catalan de la République fédérale espagnole», le 6 octobre 1934, pendant une dizaine d'heures.

Le président de la Generalitat Artur Mas s'est recueilli dans la matinée sur la tombe de son illustre prédecesseur, au château de Montjuic, surplombant Barcelone.

L'anniversaire a été célébré par des centaines de militants qui ont défilé dans la nuit autour de la forteresse, brandissant des torches enflammées.

- 'Rébellion démocratique' -

Devant la cour d'appel s'est joué jeudi le premier aboutissement judiciaire d'années de passes d'armes entre Barcelone et Madrid sur la possibilité ou non de consulter les Catalans au sujet de l'indépendance de leur puissante région de 7,5 millions d'habitants, dont les relations avec le pouvoir central sont houleuses depuis des décennies.

M. Mas était convoqué pour avoir organisé le 9 novembre 2014, une «rébellion démocratique» sous forme de consultation sans valeur légale sur l'indépendance, le gouvernement national (conservateur) de Mariano Rajoy lui ayant refusé depuis 2012 l'organisation d'un référendum d'autodétermination.

Près de 2,3 millions de personnes y avaient participé et 1,9 million s'étaient prononcées pour l'indépendance. La consultation avait été auparavant interdite par la Cour constitutionnelle, saisie par le gouvernement, qui avait conclu qu'elle abordait ainsi un sujet national, l'unité de l'Espagne, qui n'était pas de sa compétence.

Mais le président de la Generalitat avait ignoré l'interdiction. Jeudi, M. Mas s'est vu formellement notifier des poursuites pour «désobéissance civile», «détournements de fonds publics» et «usurpation de fonctions» notamment. En théorie, ces délits peuvent entraîner son inhabilité, ce qui l'empêcherait de diriger la région.

Irene Rigau et Joana Ortega, deux autres responsable ou ex responsable de l'éxécutif sont aussi poursuivies.

L'audience intervient après la victoire le 27 septembre des indépendantistes aux régionales, avec une majorité absolue des sièges au Parlement régional (72 sur 135).

Les séparatistes entendent faire sécession en 2017 au plus tard, bien qu'ils n'aient pas obtenu la majorité absolue des voix (47,8% des suffrages).

Le gouvernement de Mariano Rajoy, qui affronte des législatives le 20 décembre, refuse toute évolution du statut catalan, contrairement aux autres grands partis espagnols, et a annoncé qu'il veillerait «au respect de la loi».

The Washington Post: 'Thousands turn up at court to support Catalan leader' #news #politics #usa #eu




Regional acting President Artur Mas, center, waves to the crowd as he leaves Catalonia's high court after being questioned over their suspected roll in holding a poll in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015. Thousands of people are rallying outside a Barcelona court in support of Catalan regional acting President Artur Mas who has arrived for questioning over the staging of a symbolic referendum on secession from Spain last year. (Manu Fernandez/Associated Press)

By Emilio Morenatti and Ciaran Giles 

Thousands waving Catalan independence flags rallied Thursday in support of regional acting President Artur Mas who was being questioned at a Barcelona court for holding a symbolic referendum on secession from Spain.

Some 400 pro-independence mayors and independence party leaders joined Mas and his government councilors as he walked parade-style to the court building, cheered on by some 5,000 supporters. Chants of "Independence! Independence!" and "This court does not represent us!" rang out as Mas stopped to salute the crowd at the building's steps.

Speaking later, Mas said he accepted full responsibility for last year's referendum and accused the central Spanish government in Madrid of turning what he considered a democratic process into a criminal one.

Mas is under investigation for grave disobedience, abuse of public funds, prevarication, usurping powers and obstructing justice. If tried and found guilty, he could face disqualification from office or up to one year in jail. Two associates are also under investigation.

The probe was opened after Catalonia went ahead with the Nov. 9, 2014 referendum, defying a ruling by Spain's Constitutional Court. In the mock poll, less than half of those eligible took part, with some 80 percent voting in favor of breaking away from Spain.

Mas headed the "Together for Yes" pro-independence alliance that won 62 seats last month in Catalonia's 135-member parliament, falling short of a majority.

His alliance is negotiating with the radical pro-secession CUP party, which won 10 seats, to try to form a coalition majority. Mas has promised to set Catalonia on a path toward independence by 2017 if he gets the majority.

Although the pro-independence camp won 72 seats, it got only 48 percent of the popular vote. This is because Spain's electoral system gives more seats to votes from rural areas, where secession sentiment is strong in Catalonia.

Spain has ruled out any possibility of Catalonia becoming independent.

Polls show Catalans overwhelmingly support the right for a secession referendum but are evenly divided over independence.


Politico: 'Catalonia is an opportunity, not a problem' #news #politics #eu #usa




By ARTUR MAS, President of Catalonia

On September 27, Catalans voted in regional elections to choose their representatives in the parliament of Catalonia. The purpose of these elections was not merely to determine the composition of the legislative body; the elections were also undeniably plebiscitary in nature: The central theme of the entire campaign was to measure the level of popular support in our citizenry for the creation of an independent state for Catalonia.

As is well known, our first preference has always been to hold a referendum on this question, but the Spanish government has perpetually denied us this option. The plebiscitary nature of these elections was established by an unprecedented occurrence: The two main Catalan political parties ran together as a joint coalition, which also incorporated pro-independence figures from our civil society. The remaining political parties involved in the elections accepted this framework and the debate on when and how an independent Catalonia could be constructed began.

Even the Spanish government, which for weeks had fervently denied that the elections were a plebiscite, ended up accepting it as such, as demonstrated by the fear campaign it vigorously deployed to make all manner of threats as to what would happen should Catalans democratically choose to equip themselves with their own state. The Spanish government in Madrid also set out on a frantic search for international support in defense of the unity of Spain. This resulted in vague public statements by certain government leaders and almost vaudeville responses from others, such as the two different versions of a response from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to a question from a Spanish Partido Popular MEP.

The result of the elections confirmed the perception that a majority of Catalans desire for us to begin a democratic, peaceful, civil and negotiated process to achieve an independent state for Catalonia. With record participation of 77 percent, the two expressly pro-independence candidacies won almost 48 percent of the popular vote and 72 out of 135 seats, giving them an absolute majority in the parliament of Catalonia. Parties directly opposed to independence received 39 percent of the vote and 52 seats. The remaining votes, which make up more than 11 percent of all ballots cast, went to two parties that advocate Catalonia's right to self-determination, but which effectively abstained from weighing in on the question of independence as groups — so much so, in fact, that members of both parties have asked repeatedly that the votes they received be counted as neither in favor of independence nor against it.

I am convinced that Catalans will be able to bring the best of themselves to the challenge of making a better Europe.

Given these results, the victory of the pro-independence camp is unmistakable: The people of Catalonia have given a democratic mandate to their political representatives to begin this exciting process. Accordingly, the new Catalan parliament and the new executive government (made up from its members) will soon make a public declaration announcing the beginning of a political process that will culminate in full independence. This declaration will be sent to Spanish, European and other international institutions to make clear to all that the process has begun and to reaffirm our commitment to negotiation and to achieving a gradual and orderly transition that does not adversely affect any of the parties involved.

We do not seek to create any abrupt rupture or to break away in the immediate future. To the contrary, we have set a period of approximately 18 months during which we will enact a measured and progressive disconnection. We will not rush, but we cannot wait any longer for the Spanish government to do that which the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom have done with all normalcy: to give a voice — and a vote — to the Quebecers and the Scottish, and allow them to freely determine their own futures.

The state we envision for Catalonia will be no different from the rest of the European states of our size. In terms of its population, territory, GDP and language, Catalonia has similar proportions to those of many other countries of the European Union. We often mention Austria and Denmark as models and points of reference for an independent Catalonia. We aspire to be a reliable partner, both trustworthy and responsible, and wish to contribute to making a more robust, united, just, competitive and secure Europe.

Europeanism has always been an important identifying characteristic of the Catalan national movement: every member of the European Parliament whom Catalans voted into office during the last elections is in favor of a more united Europe with greater solidarity. Catalonia has a long and inclusive democratic tradition, and I am convinced that Catalans will be able to bring the best of themselves to the challenge of making a better Europe.

With this in mind, it makes no sense to look at what's happening in Catalonia as a problem. To the contrary, it should be perceived as an opportunity, and as an example of the strength of democracy in Europe.

The best way to move forward in this transitional period is with the utmost transparency and with the knowledge and support of European Union institutions. Continuing on this path without dialogue and negotiation is a scenario that will benefit nobody: neither Catalonia, nor Spain, nor the EU. But a positive, politically negotiated outcome will benefit all parties.

Europe has significant experience in resolving similar situations through good politics. Flexibility and the capability to adapt to the reality of a situation is a distinctive trait of the institutions in Brussels, and I am sure that this capacity will be demonstrated once again now.

El Colombiano: 'Independentistas ganaron en Cataluña y van por la secesión' #Colombia #Noticias #Politica #EU

FOTO AP

Los partidos independentistas ganaron una clara mayoría de los escaños del parlamento catalán, según los resultados oficiales, en una elección que puso a la región en rumbo de colisión con el gobierno central español por la independencia.

"Tenemos un mandato democrático, esto nos da una enorme fuerza y una gran legitimidad para proseguir con este proyecto" de la independencia, dijo el presidente en funciones de la Generalitat, Artur Mas.

Los partidos en favor de la secesión estaban en camino a asegurarse 72 de 135 asientos en la poderosa región que incluye a Barcelona.

El sólido resultados de los grupos favorables a la independencia representó un revés para el presidente del gobierno español Mariano Rajoy, cuando faltan tres meses para las elecciones nacionales.

Su gobierno de centroderecha, que se ha opuesto a los intentos de celebrar un referendo sobre la secesión, ha dicho que el plan separatista es una insensatez y aseguró que buscará bloquearlo en los tribunales.

La constitución española no permite que las regiones se separen, por lo que la perspectiva de una ruptura sigue siendo muy hipotética.

La principal plataforma secesionista "Junts Pel Si" se dirigía a asegurarse 62 escaños, mientras que CUP, un partido más pequeño de izquierda, obtendría otros 10, de acuerdo con los resultados oficiales con el 97 por ciento de los votos contados.

Juntos obtendrían 47,8 por ciento de los votos, con una participación electoral récord de 78 por ciento, un fuerte impulso a una campaña por la independencia que ha estado perdiendo respaldo en los últimos dos años.

http://www.elcolombiano.com/independentistas-ganaron-en-cataluna-y-van-por-la-secesion-FK2792777

Amb menys vots que Junts pel Sí i la CUP, Canadà i el Regne Unit van convocar referèndum


1) Hi ha més vots per la independència avui que no pas la suma dels de CiU, ERC i CUP fa tres anys. Amb el 99,6% dels vots escrutats, Junts pel Sí i la CUP han obtingut 1.952.482 vots. El 2012, CiU, ERC i CUP van obtenir 1.740.818 vots.

2) El nombre de vots per la independència ha superat el del 9-N.
Amb el 99,6% dels vots escrutats, Junts pel Sí i la CUP han obtingut 1.952.482 vots. A la consulta del 9 de novembre de 2014, el sí-sí va obtenir 1.861.753 vots. A més, cal tenir en compte que el 9-N van votar també els joves de 16 a 18 anys.

3) Més vots no equival a més unionisme: la participació ha crescut de 300.000 vots i la meitat del vot nou ha estat per la independència.
La participació ha augmentat de deu punts. Per primera vegada, la xifra de votants s'ha acostat als quatre milions: 3.987.754 (amb el 96% escrutat), un 77,46% del cens. El 2012 van votar 3.657.450 persones, la qual cosa significa que ara n'han votat prop de 300.000 per persones més. La teoria que més participació significava més unionisme no s'ha complert ja que d'aquests 300.000 vots nous 140.000 han estat pels partits independentistes, pràcticament la meitat.

4) L'independentisme venç a totes les comarques i a 907 municipis dels 942 que hi ha a tot Catalunya.
Junts pel Sí ha guanyat a totes les comarques, a la ciutat de Barcelona i a totes les capitals de comarca. És la força majoritària de 906 municipis i, a més, hi ha un municipi on ha guanyat la CUP. En total, doncs, a 907 municipis ha guanyat l'independentisme. Els unionistes, en canvi, només han guanyat a 35 poblacions: Ciutadans a 29 i el PSC a 6.

5) Amb una majoria de vots menor que la de Junts pel Sí i la CUP, els governs canadenc i britànic van reaccionar convocant els referèndums d'independència.
Quan Cameron oferí a Escòcia un referèndum d'independència fou perquè l'SNP havia guanyat les eleccions amb el 44% dels vots. Abans del primer referèndum que es va fer al Quebec, el Partit Quebequès havia guanyat les eleccions del 1976 amb el 41,37% dels vots. I abans del segon, el mateix partit havia guanyat, el 1994, amb el 44,75% dels vots.

En aquestes eleccions, la suma de Junts pel Sí i la CUP arriba el 47,84% dels vots. Molt més que no tenia l'SNP quan Cameron va acceptar de fer el referèndum i molt més que els que mai va aconseguir el Partit Quebequès.

El Espectador: 'Coalición independentista gana los comicios en Cataluña' #Colombia #Politica #Noticias #USA



Los nacionalistas de Junts pel Si plantearon estos comicios regionales como una consulta plebiscitaria para emprender un proceso de secesión de Cataluña. La coalición nacionalista Junts pel Si, que propugna un proceso deindependencia respecto a España, ganó las elecciones regionales en Cataluña con 63 escaños, a cinco de la mayoría absoluta del Parlamento regional, fijada en 68.

Al 76,49 por ciento escrutado, la otra fuerza que se presentaba con un programa independentista, CUP (izquierda radical), tendría diez escaños en el Parlamento regional y entre ambas conseguirían en torno al 47 por ciento de los votos, menos de la mitad de los emitidos, en unas elecciones que registraron una muy alta participación, cercana al 77 por ciento.

Entre medias de esas dos fuerzas se sitúan partidos opuestos a la hipótesis de la independencia. Es el caso de Ciudadanos (centro, 25 escaños), PSC (socialistas, 16), PP (centroderecha, 11) y Catalunya sí que es pot (izquierda, 10). Unos 5,5 millones de catalanes estaban convocados a las urnas para unos comicios destinados a renovar el Parlamento regional y elegir al nuevo gobierno.

La Cámara regional cuenta con 135 escaños, por lo que la mayoría absoluta está fijada en 68 diputados, de modo que Junts pel Si (Juntos por el sí) necesitaría apoyos para alcanzarla. Los nacionalistas de Junts pel Si plantearon estos comicios regionales como una consulta plebiscitaria para emprender un proceso de secesión de Cataluña. Se trata de una hipótesis que el Gobierno español, del PP, considera ilegal y contraria a la Constitución, lo mismo que el primer partido de la oposición en el país, el socialista. La candidatura ganadora, Junts pel Si, integra a políticos de distinto signo político, así como a representantes de movimientos sociales.

The New York Times: 'Catalan Separatist Parties Win Narrow Majority in Regional Elections' #USA #EU #News #Politics



Catalan separatist parties won a majority of the seats on Sunday in regional parliamentary elections that they billed as a plebiscite on secession from Spain. The result is set to intensify Catalonia's drive toward independence, despite fierce opposition from Spain's government under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The separatist leaders have vowed to form a new regional government that will lead Catalonia to statehood within 18 months.

"We have a democratic mandate; we have won against all odds," Artur Mas, the Catalan leader, told supporters in central Barcelona on Sunday night as votes were still being counted. "Just as we, as democrats, would have accepted defeat, we ask that others recognize the victory of Catalonia and the victory of the Yes" bloc for independence, he added.

Still, the separatist parties failed to win a majority of the votes on Sunday and face significant legal hurdles in converting their secessionist ambitions into a breakup of Spain. The government in Madrid has repeatedly warned that any breach of the Constitution would be struck down by the courts and could lead even to the suspension from office of Catalan secessionist politicians.

Victory for Catalan Separatists

On the evening of an election in Catalonia, separatists celebrated as exit polls gave them a majority of seats in the region's Parliament. Pablo Casado, spokesman for Mr. Rajoy's Popular Party, said Sunday night at a televised news conference that "we will continue to guarantee legality and the unity of Spain." He called on Mr. Mas to resign or work to heal the divisions he had created within Catalonia. "Secessionism tried to split Spain but didn't succeed, but it did manage to divide Catalonia," Mr. Casado argued.

Even before Sunday's vote, the separatist issue had plunged Spain into its most serious crisis since June 2012, when Mr. Rajoy was forced to negotiate a European banking bailout in the midst of the euro debt crisis.

The secessionist drive has gained momentum in recent years, but Sunday's vote also showed the extent to which it had deeply split Catalonia's 7.5 million citizens. With 98 percent of the votes tallied, the separatist parties had won the most parliamentary seats and around 48 percent of the votes amid a record turnout.

The standoff between Mr. Rajoy and Mr. Mas started in 2012 as a financial dispute over the tax contribution that wealthy Catalonia should make to poorer regions of Spain. Mr. Mas then turned his frustrated demand for fiscal concessions into a full-fledged drive for independence.

After voting on Sunday, Héctor Carnet, 35, an information technology administrator, said he would not have imagined voting for independence three years ago. "I've come to see that it's better to go that way than stick with a Madrid government that hasn't offered us any decent alternative," he said.

But his wife, who declined to give her name, disagreed. "We need to build a stronger Europe rather than add new countries," she said. "I don't think it makes sense to fight for independence in the 21st century."

The regional parliamentary election was called by Mr. Mas, leader of Catalonia's governing Convergence party. He presented it as a proxy vote on independence after Convergence agreed with the other main left-wing separatist party to run a joint list of candidates.

The joint "Together for Yes" list won 62 of the 135 seats in the Catalan Parliament, according to the preliminary count. That will translate into a majority if the "Yes" leaders can form a coalition with a far-left separatist party known by its Catalan acronym of CUP. CUP, which won 10 seats on Sunday, has opposed Mr. Mas's public spending cuts and accused Convergence of widespread corruption after its founder admitted tax evasion last year.

Raül Romeva, leader of the "Yes" list, told supporters on Sunday that "nobody can say that we don't have legitimacy."

But it is likely to remain contentious that under the Spanish system of proportional representation, separatist parties managed to win the most seats without a majority of votes. Opponents of secession argued that if separatist leaders wanted Sunday's vote to be equated to a plebiscite, then votes counted more than parliamentary seats.

Opponents of secession have warned of significant economic problems on regional and national levels if Catalonia, which accounts for a fifth of Spain's economic output, breaks away. The president of the Spanish central bank recently said that Catalan banks would be cut off from the funding of the European Central Bank, which has been critical for Spanish and other financial institutions that were crippled by the euro debt crisis and unchecked property lending.

European leaders have also recently waded into the debate, aware that any unilateral secession by Catalonia could send the European Union into uncharted waters. The European Union's ability to produce a common response to crises has already been severely tested recently by a wave of migrants from Syria and other Middle Eastern and African countries. A Catalan secession could fuel the separatist claims of other European regions.

During a recent visit to Madrid, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain suggested that if Catalonia seceded, it would have to reapply for European Union membership. Last September, Scots rejected independence in a referendum authorized by Mr. Cameron's government.

Sunday's vote took place two months before a national election that could also fragment Spanish politics, as two emerging parties threaten to help unseat Mr. Rajoy's Popular Party.

The left-wing party Podemos, while calling on Catalans to remain within Spain, supports a referendum on independence. The main opposition Socialist party has also pledged a constitutional change that could turn Spain into a federation.

According to preliminary results, Mr. Rajoy's Popular Party sunk to 11 seats, down from 19 in 2012, allowing instead the Citizens party to become the clear leader of the anti-secession opposition in the next Catalan Parliament. The Citizens party won 25 seats on Sunday, up from nine in 2012. The Catalan version of Podemos won 11 seats on Sunday, while the Socialists came in third, with 16 seats.

With a possible year-end overhaul of the national government also in mind, Mr. Mas and other separatist leaders talked Sunday night about a victory for their secessionist project, but without making clear whether or when a new Catalan government could declare unilateral independence.

Instead, Pedro Sánchez, leader of the Socialist party, underlined the failure of separatists to win a majority of votes and pledged to make a broader Spanish constitutional change to help reunite the country if the Socialists return to power in the national election.

"We have a Catalonia divided in two blocs, and the task of those who form the new government should be to heal these wounds," Mr. Sánchez said in a televised briefing from Madrid.

Clarín: 'Triunfo del independentismo en Cataluña' #Argentina #Noticias #Politica #Usa #Eu



Los sondeos indican que 'Juntos por el Sí', impulsado por el jefe de gobierno Artur Mas, conseguiría entre 63 y 66 escaños de los 68 necesarios para comenzar el proceso de secesión. Pero la CUP, un partido de izquierdas, le daría los votos para conseguir la mayoría absoluta. Se abre un escenario complicado en la pelea por la separación de España.

Manifestaciones independentistas en Barcelona.

El independentismo logró mayoría absoluta en los comicios de hoy en Cataluña, convertidos por el jefe del Ejecutivo regional, Artur Mas, en un plebiscito de facto sobre la secesión de España, según la encuesta a boca de urna publicada por la televisión pública catalana TV3 al cierre de los centros electorales.

Sin embargo, Junts Pel Sí (Juntos por el Sí), la candidatura impulsada por Mas en la que se integran dos partidos secesionistas y personas procedentes de organizaciones civiles independentistas, no logró por sí sola los 68 de los 135 diputados en los que se sitúa la mayoría absoluta en el Parlamento catalán.

Con entre 63 y 66 escaños, necesitaría sumar los entre 11 y 13 que obtendría la CUP, un partido secesionista y antisistema de izquierdas que rechazó integrarse en la lista de unidad auspiciada por el jefe del Ejecutivo regional.

Artur Mas ha planteado estos comicios regionales como sustituto del referéndum de autodeterminación que el gobierno español de Mariano Rajoy le impidió celebrar en noviembre de 2014 con una impugnación ante el Tribunal Constitucional.

Su intención, si el independentismo logra mayoría absoluta en el Parlamento regional, es liderar un gobierno de concertación que siente las bases para proclamar la independencia de la región más rica de España en un plazo máximo de año y medio.

Si necesita a la CUP para lograr esa mayoría absoluta, puede tener problemas, ya que el partido izquierdista rechaza apoyar su investidura.

La participación en los comicios de hoy fue histórica. Dos horas antes del cierre de los colegios electorales, había votado el 63,20 por ciento de los 5,5 millones de catalanes llamados a las urnas, siete puntos más que en las últimas elecciones regionales, en 2012, a la misma hora.

Como primera fuerza parlamentaria no secesionista se impondría, según la encuesta publicada por la televisión catalana, el partido de centro-derecha Ciudadanos, con entre 19 y 21 escaños.

Seguirían los socialistas, con entre 14 y 15, y el cuarto puesto sería para Catalunya Sí que es Pot (12-14 diputados), la plataforma de izquierdas en la que se integra Podemos, el partido revelación de la política española en el último año y medio.

El Partido Popular (PP) de Mariano Rajoy sufriría una caída en picada, con entre 9 y 11 diputados, situándose detrás de la CUP a tres meses de las elecciones generales en las que el jefe del Ejecutivo aspira a la reelección.

El Mercurio: 'Independentistas catalanes prometen iniciar la secesión de España tras victoria electoral' #Chile #Usa #Politica #Noticias



Los independentistas catalanes se declararon decididos a emprender el proceso de secesión de España, tras obtener una mayoría absoluta de escaños en las elecciones al Parlamentoregional de este domingo.

"Hemos ganado", lanzó el presidente saliente de la Generalitat, el independentista Artur Mas.

"Tenemos un mandato democrático y esto nos da una enorme legitimidad para seguir adelante con este proyecto", añadió, al tiempo que la victoria era celebrada por unas 2.000 personas que ondeabansenyeras independentistas en el centro de Barcelona.

Con casi 98% de votos escrutados en unos comicios con alta participación, la coalición Junts pel Sí obtuvo 62 escaños.

Sumados al partido independentista de izquierda radical CUP, que obtuvo 10 escaños, alcanzarían 72 de los 135 diputados de la cámara regional, por encima de los 68 que señalan la mayoría.

No obstante, la CUP exigió para pactar poner en marcha un plan de emergencia social y no escoger como presidente Mas. Al mismo tiempo, llamaron a la "desobediencia" frente al España.

"A partir de mañana la legislación española puede y debe ser desobedecida por los catalanes", dijo el líder de la formación Antonio Baños. "Hoy nace la república".

Las elecciones registraron una participación del 77,5%, un récord en los comicios de esta región.

Oficialmente, el objetivo de los comicios consistía en renovar el parlamento y el gobierno regionales. No obstante, los independentistas prometieron emprender un proceso para llevar a la constitución en 2017 de una república independiente en esta región de 7,5 millones de habitantes.
Artur Mas:
"Tenemos un mandato democrático y esto nos da una
enorme legitimidad para seguir adelante con este proyecto" de
independencia

Tras más de dos años pidiendo un referéndum sobre la independencia como los celebrados en Quebec o Escocia, sistemáticamente denegado por el gobierno conservador español de Mariano Rajoy, Mas apostó finalmente por convocar estas elecciones anticipadas.

Contrarios a independencia: "Se optó por convivencia"


Desde su lado, los contrarios a la secesión insistieron en que los independentistas no obtuvieron la mayoría de votos necesarios para ganar un referéndum: juntos sumaron un 47,8% de sufragios.

"La mayoría de los catalanes hemos optado por la convivencia y por la unión", afirmó la candidata del centroderechista Ciudadanos, Inés Arrimadas, segunda fuerza con 25 diputados, que pidió la dimisión de Mas y convocar nuevas elecciones.

El voto antiindependentista restante quedó disgregado entre el Partido Socialista (16), el conservador Partido Popular (PP) de Rajoy (11) y la lista creada entorno al antiliberal Podemos (11).

"La mayoría de los catalanes rechazó la independencia", afirmó en Madrid el portavoz del PP, Pablo Casado. "Vamos a seguir garantizando la legalidad, vamos a defender la unidad de España", agregó.

Desde la calle, los catalanes que concurrieron masivamente a las urnas no ocultaron su expectación frente a los resultados.

"Estoy emocionado y nervioso, hace mucho tiempo que se habla de cómo solucionar este tema y hoy al menos sabremos cuántos hay en cada lado", afirmaba Toni Valls, arquitecto de 28 años, tras votar a Junts pel Sí en un barrio acomodado de Barcelona.

Jonatan Sánchez, de 32 años, pintor en una gran empresa de construcción, votó que no en Badalona, suburbio obrero de la capital.

"Mi trabajo podría verse afectado, mi compañía está en Barcelona pero trabaja mucho en el resto de España y el extranjero", explicó.

Los pasos que siguen


La hoja de ruta ideada por Junts pel Sí prevé empezar su andadura hacia la independencia con una declaración de inicio del proceso independentista una vez constituido el parlamento regional.

Su intención es abrir entonces negociaciones con Madrid y Bruselas para buscar una salida a la secesión.

Está en juego la región más rica de la cuarta economía de la Eurozona justo cuando ésta deja atrás la crisis y crece a velocidad de crucero.

Sin Cataluña, España perdería 25% de sus exportaciones, 19% de su PIB, 16% de su población, su principal puerta a Europa y su principal destino turístico.

Rajoy y su gobierno repitieron sin cesar que no aceptarán ningún tipo de negociación para dividir el país, que en diciembre celebrará unas elecciones legislativas que podrían alterar notablemente el mapa político.

Incluso están a punto de aprobar una propuesta de reforma urgente del Tribunal Constitucional que permitiría inhabilitar a Mas por cualquier acto ilegal.

La respuesta de los independentistas, contemplada en su hoja de ruta, sería declarar la independencia unilateral. Y Mas advirtió recientemente que Cataluña podría dejar de pagar su parte de la deuda española, que asciende a casi un 100% de su PIB.

"Si las cosas se complicaran tanto, aunque no tienen por qué complicarse, el problema lo tendría fundamentalmente el conjunto de España", advirtió recientemente.

Al norte, en tanto, el presidente del País Vasco español, Iñigo Urkullu, reclamó también el domingo "una consulta legal y pactada" sobre el estatuto de la "nación" vasca.

Die Welt: 'Separatisten werden stärkste Kraft in Katalonien' #Eu #germany #usa #politik #deutschland



Das Bündnis des katalanischen Ministerpräsidenten Artur Mas gewann danach am Sonntag 62 der insgesamt 135 Sitze. Die ebenfalls separatistische Linkspartei CUP kam auf 10 Mandate. "Wir haben gewonnen", sagte Mas. "Das Wahlergebnis gibt uns die Kraft, den Prozess (einer Abspaltung Kataloniens von Spanien) fortzusetzen. Beide Gruppierungen erhielten zusammen allerdings mit 47,8 Prozent weniger als die Hälfte der Wählerstimmen.
In Kreisen der konservativen spanischen Zentralregierung von Ministerpräsident Mariano Rajoy hieß es dagegen, Mas sei mit seinem separatistischen Vorhaben gescheitert. Der sozialistische Madrider Oppositionsführer Pedro Sánchez betonte: "Die Separatisten haben das Plebiszit verloren."

Antikapitalistische Partei erhält Schlüsselrolle

Die katalanische Regierung hatte die vorgezogene Wahl als eine "Volksabstimmung" über eine Abspaltung der Region von Spanien angesetzt. Mas hatte angekündigt, Katalonien in 18 Monaten zur Unabhängigkeit zu führen, wenn seine separatistische Allianz Junts pel Sí (Gemeinsam fürs Ja) die absolute Mehrheit von 68 Sitzen erreicht.

Nach den Wahlergebnissen kann das Bündnis die absolute Mehrheit nur erreichen, wenn es sich mit der weit links stehenden CUP (Kandidatur der Volkseinheit) zusammenschließt. Die antikapitalistische Partei könnte demnach eine Schlüsselrolle in Katalonien einnehmen. Sie tritt ebenfalls für eine Abspaltung der Region von Spanien ein, lehnt eine Wiederwahl des Liberalen Mas zum Regierungschef aber strikt ab.

Die Madrider Zentralregierung hatte wiederholt angekündigt, eine Abspaltung Kataloniens unter keinen Umständen zuzulassen. Sie verwies auf die in der Verfassung festgeschriebene Einheit der Nation. Madrid hatte bereits im November 2014 ein Unabhängigkeitsreferendum in Katalonien mit einer Klage vor dem Verfassungsgericht verhindert.

Auch Pep Guardiola befürwortet die Unabhängigkeit

Dem separatischen Wahlbündnis von Mas gehören die katalanische Regierungspartei CDC (Demokratische Konvergenz), die Linksrepublikaner (ERC) und Bürgerinitiativen an. Auf ihrer Kandidatenliste stand auch der Trainer des deutschen Fußballmeisters FC Bayern München, Pep Guardiola. Die CDC und ERC hatten bei der vorigen Wahl 2012 insgesamt 9 Sitze mehr gewonnen als jetzt.

Die liberale, prospanische Partei Ciutadans (Bürger) wurde mit 25 Sitzen (2012: 9) die zweitstärkste Kraft im katalanischen Parlament. Die ebenfalls prospanischen Sozialisten (PSC) errangen 16 Mandate, 4 weniger als vor drei Jahren. Rajoys Volkspartei (PP), die in Katalonien traditionell keine bedeutende Rolle spielt, kam auf 11 Sitze, 8 weniger als 2012.

Mehr als 5,5 Millionen Stimmberechtigte waren zur Stimmabgabe aufgerufen. Aufgrund der Bedeutung der Abstimmung war die Wahlbeteiligung deutlich höher als bei früheren Wahlen. Im Dezember finden in ganz Spanien Parlamentswahlen statt.

The Guardian: 'Catalan separatists win election and claim it as yes vote for breakaway' #Eu #Usa #News #Politics #UK



Spain set for political crisis as regional government election result spurs coalition on with plans for independence. Catalonian pro-independence supporters celebrate in Barcelona. Separatists took control of Catalonia's regional government on Sunday in an election result that could plunge Spain into one of its deepest political crises of recent years by forcing Madrid to confront an openly secessionist government at the helm of one of its wealthiest regions.

A record-breaking number of Catalans cast their vote in Sunday's election, billed as a de facto referendum on independence. With more than 98% of the votes counted, the nationalist coalition Junts pel Sí (Together for Yes) were projected to win 62 seats, while far-left pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy, known in Spain as CUP, were set to gain 10 seats, meaning an alliance of the two parties could give secessionists an absolute majority in the region's 135-seat parliament.

"We won," the Catalan leader, Artur Mas, told a cheering crowd at a rally in Barcelona. "Today was a double victory – the yes side won, as did democracy," he added, as the jubilant crowd waved nationalist Estelada flags.

After attempts by Catalan leaders to hold a referendum on independence were blocked by the central government in Madrid, Mas sought to turn the elections into a de facto referendum, pledging to begin the process of breaking away from Spain if Junts pel Sí won a majority of seats.

His party fell six seats short of a majority on Sunday. But still, Mas claimed victory, vowing to push forward with independence. "We ask that the world recognise the victory of Catalonia and the victory of the yes," he said. "We have won and that gives us an enormous strength to push this project forward."

Junts pel Sí, representing parties from the left and right, as well as grassroots independence activists, captured 39.7% of the vote, while CUP received 8.2%. The result leaves the separatists with 47.9% of the vote, shy of the more than 50% that they would have needed if Sunday's vote had been a real referendum.

It's a result that will leave the movement struggling to gain legitimacy on the world stage, said political analyst Josep Ramoneda, while setting Madrid and Barcelona on course for a collision. "The government in Catalonia will try to move forward with independence, but this result won't allow them to take irreversible steps," he said, pointing to a declaration of independence as an example. "I mean, nobody will recognise that."

Catalonia goes to the polls in an 'incredible moment for democracy'

Instead, Catalonia will be left to face Madrid alone, who will seek to stymie any attempts to move forward with independence. The Spanish prime minister,Mariano Rajoy, has vowed to use the full power of the country's judiciary to block any move towards independence.

In recent years, Rajoy and his governing conservative People's party (PP) have refused to address underlying grievances over Catalonia's language and identity, as well as concerns that the region pays more in taxes than it receives in investments and transfers from Madrid. Instead, his party repeatedly turned to the country's constitutional court to shut down the process, backed by the Spanish constitution, which does not allow regions to unilaterally decide on sovereignty.

On Sunday, Catalans rebuffed the PP strategy in the region, giving them 11 seats, down from 19 seats in the previous elections and one of the party's poorest showings ever in the Catalan regional parliament. "These are not the results we expected or wanted," Xavier García Albiol, the PP leader in Catalonia said on Sunday.

The PP emerged as one of the election's biggest losers, said Emilio Sáenz-Francés, a professor of history and international relations at Madrid's Comillas Pontifical University. "This is a disastrous result for the PP." The result is a continuation of a downward trend for the PP, he added, pointing to May's regional and municipal elections, which saw them lose 2.5m votes.

Many Catalans opposed to independence instead turned to centre-right Ciutadans, the regional arm of Ciudadanos. The party more than doubled its number of elected officials from 2012, from 9 to 25, making them the second-strongest party in the new Catalan parliament. "They are constitutionalists with ideas that are much clearer than the PP," said Sáenz-Francés. "And above all, they have something that is extremely important right now in Spain, and that is new faces."

Rather than giving the separatists a strong mandate, Sunday's election simply reinforced that Spain has a problem, said Sáenz-Francés. "While the headline is not 'Catalonia votes in favour of independence and Spain breaks apart', it's rather 'Spain has to face the problem of Catalonia's integration'."

Whether or not Catalonia's newest parliament will be able to successfully address this issue may depend on whether Junts pel Sí, made up of forces from the left and right of the political spectrum, can find common ground with the far-left CUP.

CUP has said it favours moving forward with independence if separatists win a majority of seats and votes. They have also taken aim at the idea of Mas leading the transitional government, pointing to the austerity measures implemented by his centre-right government and hinting at the string of corruption scandals that have plagued his party, Democratic Convergence, in recent years.

On Sunday evening, CUP member Anna Gabriel said the independence project would continue, but noted that "Artur Mas isn't essential". CUP has also lobbied for a more immediate break with Spain, rather than the 18-month timeline charted by Junts pel Sí.

Any alliance with CUP may also modify the route to independence envisioned by Junts pel Sí. Mas has said the transitional government's first step would be a declaration, made within days of taking office, proclaiming the beginning of the process to break away from Spain. From there, the priority of the government would be to sit down with Madrid and European institutions to address issues such as the management of shared borders, the energy grid and the Ebro river basin.

The creation of state structures will also begin – from a diplomatic service to a central bank – to be ready in time for the proclamation of a new Catalan state. Plans for the first of these new state structures, a regional tax agency modelled on that of Sweden and Australia, was halted by Spain's constitutional court earlier this month after the court agreed to hear a challenge lodged by the central government in Madrid.

The same fate could befall many of the state structures envisioned by Mas. Last week, the Spanish prime minister said Madrid would continue to use the courts to block any move towards Catalan independence. "We would go to the constitutional court. And that's the way it is. Full stop," Rajoy told broadcaster Onda Cero.

Liberation: 'Les Catalans s’engagent sur le chemin de l’indépendance' #France #Belgique #Quebec #nouvelles #Eu


La majorité semble acquise au camp séparatiste au parlement catalan à l'issue du scrutin régional.  Les Catalans s'engagent sur le chemin de l'indépendance. La forte participation (63,2% à 18 heures soit 6,9 points de plus par rapport au scrutin de 2012) laissait espérer un résultat favorable aux partisans de la séparation entre la Catalogne et l'Espagne. Ce que les sondages de sortie des urnes confirmaient dimanche dès 20 heures : les indépendantistes devraient dominer le parlement régional avec une solide majorité et auront les mains libres pour lancer le processus législatif de divorce.

Junts pel Si (Unis pour le oui), coalition hétéroclite emmenée par le président de l'exécutif régional, Artur Mas, était crédité dans les premières projections de 63 à 66 sièges, frôlant ainsi la majorité absolue (68 sièges). Il pourra s'allier à l'autre liste indépendantiste, le CUP, qui obtiendrait entre 11 et 13 élus.

Dans le débat sur la place de la Catalogne au sein du royaume, les indépendantistes ont marqué un point important. La prochaine échéance sera nationale, avec les élections législatives du 6 décembre qui, sauf énorme surprise, devraient chasser du pouvoir le Partido Popular (droite) de Mariano Rajoy. Mais les deux forces qui peuvent prétendre à la victoire, le parti socialiste (PSOE) et les indignés de Podemos, sont loin d'être acquises à l'idée d'une Espagne amputée. Pablo Iglesias, le leader de Podemos, a un raisonnement alambiqué. Pour résumer : d'abord on chasse la droite, ensuite on réforme la Constitution, puis on proclame la République et là, si les Catalans veulent toujours nous quitter, ils pourront le faire par voie de référendum. Ça fait beaucoup de si.

Au début de la semaine dernière, Artur Mas dessinait son scénario de transition et fixait l'autogouvernement à l'horizon 2018. Le délai est très optimiste, mais, depuis dimanche, une Catalogne indépendante est un peu moins inimaginable.

Spiegel Online: 'Regionalwahl in Katalonien: Separatisten gewinnen Mehrheit im Parlament' #politik #deutschland #news #Ausland



Bei der Regionalwahl im nordostspanischen Katalonien haben die Befürworter der Unabhängigkeit laut Hochrechnungen den Sieg errungen. Die Partei von Ministerpräsident Mas und die linke CUP kommen zusammen auf eine Mehrheit im Parlament.

Bei der Regionalwahl in Katalonien haben die Unabhängigkeitsbefürworter laut Hochrechnungen die absolute Mehrheit der Sitze im Parlament der nordostspanischen Region gewonnen. Wie die Behörden nach Auszählung von 90 Prozent der Stimmen am Sonntagabend mitteilten, kommt das Bündnis Junts pel Sí (Gemeinsam fürs Ja) auf 62 Sitze, die linksradikale Unabhängigkeitsbewegung CUP errang zehn Sitze.

Beide gemeinsam stellen mit 72 der 135 Sitze im Parlament künftig die absolute Mehrheit. Den Teilergebnissen zufolge erreichten sie zusammen 47,8 Prozent der Stimmen.

Der katalanische Ministerpräsident Artur Mas erklärte die Unabhängigkeitsbewegung zum Sieger des Urnenganges. Jubelnde Menschen feierten in Barcelona und schwenkten katalanische Flaggen.

Mas hatte die Wahl zur Abstimmung über die Abspaltung von Spanien erklärt und angekündigt, Katalonien im Falle eines Wahlsieges bis 2017 in die Unabhängigkeit von Spanien zu führen. Die autonome Region mit 7,5 Millionen Einwohnern ist stolz auf ihre eigene Sprache und Kultur und sieht sich von der Zentralregierung in Madrid gegängelt und wirtschaftlich ausgenutzt.

Die spanische Regierung hatte im Vorfeld gewarnt, eine Abspaltung Kataloniens von Spanien sei nicht nur verfassungswidrig, sondern würde auch den Verlust der EU-Mitgliedschaft und des Euro für Katalonien bedeuten. Ferner sei die Auszahlung der Renten in Gefahr. Während des Wahlkampfs riefen der konservative Ministerpräsident Mariano Rajoy und andere führende spanische Politiker wiederholt zur Einheit Spaniens auf.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/spanien-katalanische-separatisten-erringen-laut-prognose-wahlsieg-a-1054988.html

La Stampa: 'Ecco cosa può succedere dopo la vittoria degli indipendentisti in Catalogna' #italia #eu #usa #news #politics



Quali sono le prossime tappe? È possibile uscire dall'Ue? E il Barcellona giocherà ancora nella Liga? Ci sono analogie con la Lega Nord? Cosa faranno gli indipendentisti dopo questo voto?  Il parlamento catalano proclamerà l'inizio del processo d'indipendenza. Parallelamente si cercherà di avviare i colloqui con la Spagna e l'Unione Europea. Sono previsti 18 mesi per costruire le strutture del nuovo Stato e poi un referendum sulla nuova costituzione della Repubblica.  

Come reagirà il governo spagnolo?  

Dichiarerà non valida la dichiarazione di indipendenza. Si aprirà, probabilmente, una fase di ricorsi contro le nuove leggi con le quali la Catalogna vorrà costituire il nuovo Stato nazionale. A dicembre ci sono le elezioni politiche in Spagna e a quel punto, in caso di nuovo governo, tutto potrebbe cambiare.  

Perché delle elezioni regionali vengono definite un plebiscito?  

La linea degli indipendentisti è questa: «Non ci fate fare un referendum sulla secessione? Allora sfruttiamo i mezzi legali per fare decidere i catalani». Una forzatura criticata da tutti gli altri partiti, ma l'idea del plebiscito ha, di fatto, prevalso, visto che l'indipendenza è stato l'unico tema della campagna.  

Una Catalogna indipendente resterà nell'Unione europea e nell'euro?  

Secondo la Commissione «i trattati non si applicheranno più in un territorio che si è staccato da uno Stato membro». Ma il presidente catalano Artur Mas ha un'altra teoria: «I catalani sono già in Europa, non è nell'interesse di nessuno cacciarli». La Spagna dice il contrario. Le banche sono scese in campo negli ultimi giorni contro l'indipendenza, minacciando di lasciare la Catalogna.  
 
Il Barcellona giocherà ancora contro il Real Madrid nella Liga?  

A una settimana dal voto è arrivata l'avvertimento di Miguel Cardena: «La Catalogna dovrà farsi un suo campionato». E' scoppiata una bufera, l'idea di perdere "el clasico" ha fatto più paura ai catalani rispetto alla paventata uscita dall'euro. Ma la Liga ha bisogno del Barça per poterne fare a meno.  

Il Barcellona è schierato con gli indipendentisti catalani?  

Ufficialmente no, ma molti simboli della squadra si sono schierati con i separatisti, Pep Guardiola si è addirittura candidato con la lista Junts Pel Si, Gerard Piqué ha partecipato alla grande manifestzione dell'11 settembre. Sugli spalti del Camp Nou in questi giorni si sono viste tantissime esteladas, le bandiere catalane con la stella repubblicana, simbolo anti Madrid.  

Chi sono gli indipendentisti?  

Per la prima volta è stata formata una lista unica, Junt pel si, ne fanno parte Convergencia (Cdc), guidata da Artur Mas ed Esquerra Republicana (Erc) la sinistra moderata da sempre indipendentista. Fuori dalla coalizione, ma sostenitrice della secessione è la Cup, formazione anticapitalista.

Podemos è per l'indipendenza?  

No. Ma sostiene il diritto dei catalani a un referendum sul modello scozzese e del Québec. I socialisti, invece, sostengono una terza via: la riforma della costituzione in senso federalista. Nettamente contrari ad ogni modifica, i Popolari del premier Rajoy e il nuovo partito (in grande ascesa) Ciudadanos.  

Qual è il ruolo del Re di Spagna?  

Per il momento si è limitato a generici appelli all'unità, senza assolutamente entrare nella contesa. I retroscena dicono che Felipo VI sarebbe favorevole a un dialogo con i catalani, ma è frenato dal governo di Rajoy.
 
Gli indipendentisti catalani si possono paragonare alla Lega Nord?  

E' un parallelo che a Barcellona rifiutano nettamente.«"Siamo un movimento eterogeneo, ci sono persone di destra, di sinistra e di centro. Cattolici e musulmani. Che c'entriamo con Bossi e Salvini?», dice il leader repubblicano Oriol Junqueras.


Público: 'Independentistas têm maioria absoluta no parlamento da Catalunha' #Portugal #News #Noticias #eu #usa


Coligação Juntos Pelo pelo Sim tem 62 deputados, aos quais se juntam dez da Candidatura de Unidade Popular. Os dois blocos que defendem a declaração de independência não conquistaram, no entanto, mais de 50% dos votos. Com mais de 95% dos votos contados nas eleições autonómicas catalãs, os partidos pró-independência obtiveram a maioria absoluta em número de assentos no parlamento regional, mas não em termos de votos.

Assim, a coligação Juntos Pelo pelo Sim – que uniu a Convergência Democrática da Catalunha, do até agora presidente da Generalitat, Artur Mas, à Esquerda Republicana da Catalunha – tem 62 deputados. Pelas convicções independentistas podem juntar-se-lhe os dez eleitos pela Candidatura de Unidade Popular (CUP) – outro partido independentista, anti-capitalista e anti-austeridade.

Antes das eleições, a CUP e a Juntos pelo Sim tinham dito que um resultado deste tipo lhes permitiria declarar a independência de forma unilateral no prazo de 18 meses, seguindo um plano das autoridades catalãs para escrever a sua própria Constituição e criar instituições nacionais, como um exército próprio, um banco central e um sistema judicial independentes dos do Estado espanhol.

"Hoje temos uma dupla vitória. Ganhou o sim e ganhou a democracia. Todos os que nos diziam que não havia vontade de votar na Catalunha que tomem nota", declarou Artur Mas.

No entanto, em percentagem do número de votos, estas duas formações obtiveram apenas 48,06% dos 3.041.855 catalães que foram votar (de um universo de 5.333.790 de pessoas recenseadas). Ficam portanto abaixo dos 50% que seria exigível numas eleições a que Artur Mas quis dar um carácter plebiscitário – tornando-as uma forma de referendar a independência, já que o referendo, propriamente dito, foi impedido por Madrid.

A participação nestas eleições atingiu um recorde: 77% dos eleitores recenseados foram às urnas, enquanto nas de 2012, as mais concorridas até agora, tinham sido 68%.

A maioria dos votos expressos – 51,94% - foi confiada a partidos que não defendem a declaração unilateral da independência, sob nenhuma forma, ou então que não defendem o caminho desenhado pela coligação Juntos pelo Sim.

Em segundo lugar ficou um partido claramente anti-independência, o Cidadãos, com 25 deputados. O novo partido, que está a tornar-se uma força considerável no panorama político espanhol, ficou à frente do Partido Socialista da Catalunha, que ficou em terceiro, com 16 deputados. Já o Partido Popular, que é a força de governo em Madrid, conseguiu apenas 11 eleitos para o parlamento regional catalão – é o seu segundo pior resultado histórico, diz o El País.

A coligação eleitoral de forças de esquerda Catalunha Sim é Possível, que rejeita a ruptura unilateral defendida pela coligação Juntos pelo Sim e pela CUP e é favorável a um referendo sobre a independência, também não teve um bom resultado: ficou-se por dez deputados.

Com este resultado, não é de todo garantido que Artur Mas continue a ser o presidente da Catalunha. Ele não encabeça a lista eleitoral da coligação, e a CUP afirmou que não o apoiaria para continuar a liderar a Generalitat. Na verdade, Mas tem poucos apoios.

Pelo caminho há ainda as eleições legislativas espanholas, em Dezembro, que podem afastar o Governo do Partido Popular de Mariano Rajoy, que se tem oposto radicalmente às reivindicações de outro estatuto para a Catalunha, agudizando os sentimentos independentistas. Os protagonistas, no final deste ano, podem assim vir a ser outros que não Mas e Rajoy. E o caminho aparentemente encetado com estas eleições pode seguir por outras vias.


Observador: “Hem guanyat!” Independentistas vencem eleições na Catalunha' #politica #eu #brasil


Com o escrutínio perto do fim, a coligação independentista Juntos Pelo Sim já ganhou as eleições autonómicas na Catalunha, devendo alcançar 39,6% dos votos e 62 lugares no parlamento regional. Esse número de deputados não garante a maioria absoluta, mas o partido Candidatura de Unidade Popular (CUP) também apoia as pretensões separatistas da região, pelo que os 10 representantes que deverá eleger vão ser fundamentais para o movimento independentista. Juntas, ambas as forças conseguem maioria parlamentar, mas não conseguem obter 50% dos votos dos eleitores catalães, o que significa que a separação de Espanha ainda não é consensual.

Em segundo lugar ficou o Ciutadans, com 17,9% dos votos, seguido do Partido dos Socialistas da Catalunha (PSC) com 12,8%. O Catalunya Sí Que És Pot, apoiado pelo Podemos, não conseguiu tornar-se a terceira força política da região, obtendo 8,9% dos votos e 11 lugares na assembleia. Segue-se o Partido Popular, atualmente no governo de Espanha, que perde oito deputados face às eleições de 2012.

Quando já estavam escrutinados mais de 60% dos votos, o presidente do governo autónomo da Catalunha (Generalitat) esteve na sede do Juntos Pelo Sim, em Barcelona, para se dirigir pela primeira vez aos muitos apoiantes que ali estiveram horas à espera. As primeiras palavras de Artur Mas foram um festejo em várias línguas:

Hem guanyat, hemos ganado, we have won, nous avons gagné!" Visivelmente satisfeito, Mas afirmou que, nestas eleições, "ganhou o sim e ganhou a democracia". E deu uma alfinetada ao governo de Madrid, embora sem o referir:

Tal como nós, enquanto democratas, aceitaríamos a derrota, agora exigimos que aceitem a vitória da Catalunha, a vitória do sim."

Os partidos que não apoiam a independência da Catalunha escudaram-se no facto de a votação nos partidos separatistas não ter alcançado os 50% para clamar vitória, cada um à sua maneira. Inés Arrimadas, a carismática cabeça-de-lista dos Ciutadans, afirmou que os resultados provam que os catalães querem ficar em Espanha. E foi mais longe, exigindo a demissão do presidente da Generalitat.

France TV: 'Catalogne : les séparatistes obtiennent la majorité absolue au Parlement' #France #nouvelles #eu #usa



Le camp indépendantiste a remporté son pari, avec une confortable majorité de 72 sièges sur 135. Avant même le vote, certains qualifiaient le scrutin "d'historique". Voilà que les deux listes indépendantistes en course au scrutin régional catalan ont obtenu la majorité absolue des sièges au Parlement catalan, dimanche 27 septembre.  

Après dépouillement de 98% des suffrages, les indépendantistes obtiennent la majorité absolue (72 sièges sur 135). 62 sièges vont à la coalition Junts Pel Si, 10 au petit parti indépendantiste de gauche radicale CUP. Le leader des indépendantistes Artur Mas, revendique la victoire : "nous avons gagné". "A l'Etat espagnol, sans rancoeur, adieu", a tweeté le leader du CUP Antonio Banos. Selon leur programme, ils devraient déclarer l'indépendance de la région d'ici à 18 mois. Une situation inédite dans l'histoire de l'Espagne, et que la constitution ne prévoit pas. Le gouvernement de Madrid est farouchement contre. Ce scrutin donne des idées aux Basques, qui voudraient bien organiser un référendum sur leur indépendance prochainement.



BBC: 'Catalonia vote: Pro-independence parties win elections' #UK #USA #EU #Politics #News



Pro-independence parties in Spain's Catalonia region have won an absolute majority in regional elections, near complete results show. With more than 90% of the votes counted, the main separatist alliance and a smaller party won 72 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament. They said earlier a majority would allow them to declare independence from Spain unilaterally within 18 months. The central government in Madrid has pledged to block such moves in court.

With nearly 94% of the votes counted, the "Junts per Si" ("Together for Yes") won 62 seats, while the far-left separatist CUP party is expected to secure 10 mandates. "We have won," Catalan regional President Artus Mas told his cheering supporters late on Sunday. After a celebration rally, the pro-independence camp's leaders told the BBC's Tom Burridge that they would now proceed towards the creation of an independent Catalan state. But the road ahead is controversial and anything but clear, our correspondent adds. 

The pro-independence parties said ahead of the vote that they considered it a de facto referendum on independence from Spain. They argue that the Spanish government has consistently refused to allow a legally recognised referendum to take place, ignoring an unofficial vote backing independence in November 2014. Opinion polls suggest a majority of Catalans favour a referendum on independence but are evenly divided over whether they want to secede.

More than five million people were eligible to vote. The ruling Convergencia party of Mr Mas and the Esquerra Republicana party put up a single list of candidates - under the "Together for Yes" banner. The anti-independence vote in Catalonia was split between a number of groups, including Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party. The centre-right government in Madrid has described any breakaway plans as "a nonsense". Mr Rajoy argues that because the loss of Catalonia would affect all of Spain, the democratic approach would be for all of the country to vote in a referendum on Catalonia's future.

The New York Times: 'Pro-Secession Parties in Catalonia Win Landmark Vote' #USA #EU #Politics #News



Pro-secession parties pushing for Spain's northeastern Catalonia region to break away and form a new Mediterranean nation won a landmark vote Sunday by capturing a majority of seats in the regional parliament, setting up a possible showdown over independence with the central government in Madrid.

With 98 percent of the vote counted, the "Together for Yes" group of secessionists had 62 seats in the 135-member parliament. If they join forces with the left-wing pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy party, which won 10 seats, they will have the 68 seats needed to try to push forward their plan to make Catalonia independent from Spain by 2017.

But CUP had insisted that it would only join an independence bid if secessionist parties won more than 50 percent of the popular vote. They won only about 48 percent because of a quirk in Spanish election law that gives a higher proportion of legislative seats to rural areas with fewer voters.

Still, Catalonia leader Artur Mas claimed victory as a jubilant crowd interrupted him with cheers and chants of "Independence!" in Catalan, which is spoken side by side with Spanish in the well-off and industrialized region bordering France.

Many Catalans who favor breaking away from Spain say their region, which represents nearly a fifth of Spain's economic output, pays too much in taxes and receives less than its fair share of government investment. Independence sentiment grew during Spain's near economic meltdown during the financial crisis.

"As democrats we were prepared to accept the defeat. Now, we demand that they accept the victory for Catalonia and the victory of the 'yes,'" he said. "We have a lot of work ahead, we won't let you down, we know we have the democratic mandate. We have won and that gives us an enormous strength to push this project forward."

The pro-independence parties had nearly 48 percent of the popular vote, falling just short of a majority because of a quirk in Spanish election law that gives a higher proportion of legislative seats to rural areas with fewer voters. Critics said the pro-independence forces failed to gain legitimacy for their secession push with the election result and demanded Mas' resignation.

"Artur Mas convoked these elections because he said the majority of Catalans were with him. Today the majority of Catalans turned their back on him and the only thing he must do is resign," said Ines Arrimadas, the leading regional parliamentary candidate for the anti-independence Citizens party.

CUP leader David Fernandez insisted in a television interview that his party "will not be the one to fail independence." But differences are already apparent because he has said he wants an immediate declaration of independence rather than the 18-month secession roadmap favored by the "Yes" bloc.

Secessionists have long pushed for an independence referendum, but Spain's central government refused to allow it, saying such a vote would be unconstitutional. So the pro-independence parties pitched the vote for regional parliamentary seats as a de facto plebiscite.

The parliament, based in Barcelona, represents the northeastern region of 7.5 million people bordering France that is responsible for nearly a fifth of Spain's economic output.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's ruling Popular Party government says it will use all legal means to prevent Catalonia from breaking away, an exit European leaders have warned would include ejection from the European Union despite claims by secession supporters that a way may be found for an independent Catalonia to stay.

Spain's government has also said it is concerned that if Catalonia tries to break free it would disrupt the fragile signs of economic recovery for the country that has endured unemployment of over 22 percent for several years.

But the ruling party's candidate to lead Catalonia, Xavier Garcia Albiol, acknowledged that Sunday's result was a blow.

"These are not the results that we expected or wanted," he said.

Catalans from both sides of the independence divide are fiercely proud of their Catalan language, which is spoken along with Spanish and was suppressed under three decades of Gen. Francisco Franco's dictatorship.

Jordi Perez, a 50-year-old civil servant said he voted for "Together for Yes" because he feels Spain has historically disparaged Catalan culture and its language.

"I have wanted independence ever since I was young," Perez said after voting in Barcelona. "During three centuries they have robbed us of our culture. We have reached the moment that the Catalan people say 'enough is enough.'"

While the pro-independence camp has organized massive rallies of hundreds of thousands in recent years, those in favor of remaining a part of Spain kept a low profile.

School teacher Sandra Guerrero, 30, said that the election motivated her to vote for the first time — for the anti-independence Citizens party.

"I feel part of Spain. I am proud to be Catalan, but also to be Spanish," she said. "I had never voted before because I was disillusioned with politics. But this time I have because these are important elections."

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/09/27/world/europe/ap-eu-spain-catalan-independence.html?_r=0

The Guardian: 'Catalonia’s separatists: ‘The Spanish state has failed. We can change this’ #usa #eu #uk #news

Raül Romeva

Separatist leader Raül Romeva is turning elections into a de facto referendum on breaking away from Spain

At the port of Tarragona recently, with the sun shining on the harbour, it became clear that Junts pel Sí (Together for Yes), the Catalan independence coalition which hopes to score a significant victory next weekend, is a pretty big tent.

Asked about a controversial megacomplex of hotels, casinos and theme parks in the works, candidate Germà Bel was confident that the project would create wealth and jobs for the area. But Raül Romeva, charismatic leader of the Together for Yes list, doubted whether the project would actually go ahead. "It's not a done deal," he hedged.

Spanish media seized on the moment as evidence of the uneasy bedfellows that had joined together for Catalonia's forthcoming regional elections.

But Romeva, who leads the Junts pel Sí ticket, sees the unwieldy coalition backed by the conservative Democratic Convergence party, the leftwing Catalan Republican Left and grassroots independence activists, as a sign of the extraordinary moment Catalonia is experiencing.

"This is a movement that goes from left to right, spanning conservatives, liberals, ecologists, sociologists and many others," he told the Observer. "It's a consequence of necessity." For the past decade, he argued, the Spanish state has failed to represent the plurality of the country: "What we have is the opportunity to change all this."

His coalition seeks to turn the 27 September ballot into a de facto referendum on independence, segregating parties by their stance on the question and launching the region's most ambitious move in recent years in the push to break away from Spain. "If there is a majority, we will have to manage that result. If there is not a majority, we will have to accept that and move on."

Polls suggest that pro-independence parties could win a slim majority in the 135-seat regional parliament. If so, Catalan leader Artur Mas has pledged to lead a transitional government, lasting no longer than 18 months, which will begin drafting a Catalan constitution and work towards negotiating secession with the central government in Madrid.

A leftist who dresses in jeans and wears bright yellow glasses, Romeva comes across as a bridge between the diverse groups that make up Junts pel Sí. Born in Madrid and raised in Catalonia, he said his position on independence was cemented in 2010, when Spain's constitutional court ruled that Catalonia's status and powers could not be considered tantamount to nationhood.

Until recently, few outside Spanish political circles had heard of Romeva. After stints working with Unesco and Oxfam, the 44-year-old spent more than a decade as an MEP, representing ICV, the Catalan Green-Socialist party.

He made headlines across Spain in 2012 when, along with another Catalan MEP, he brought a football incident – a stamp by Real Madrid's Pepe on the hand of Barcelona's Lionel Messi – to the European parliament, asking if Pepe should have been sanctioned. Romeva later withdrew the question and apologised, saying that his intention had been to draw attention to the role institutions could play in addressing violence in sport.

Earlier this year, after ICV decided to step back from Catalan independence, and support a federal solution, Romeva left the party. Prior to joining Junts pel Sí, he was working at the Autonomous University of Barcelona as a research analyst on armed conflict and postwar rehabilitation.

In 2010, just under 20% of Catalans supported outright independence, according to the region's Centre for Opinion Studies. By June 2015 this proportion had almost doubled to 38%, though down from a high of 48.5% in November 2013. Romeva's explanation is simple: "Right now we have a state structure that is acting against us."

Recent years have consistently seen an increasingly secessionist-minded Catalonia square off against a resolute Madrid. As the elections draw near, Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, and his conservative People's party have held firm. "There will be no Catalan independence," he told reporters this summer. "We are talking about regional elections, in which people will choose their regional parliament. Nothing else."

Romeva rebuffed him by pointing to the diversity of ideologies in the Junts pel Sí coalition. "In 18 months we can have a normal election in which we can have a normal confrontation of ideologies and political projects," he said. But right now the overarching question is one of independence. "It has nothing to do with left or right, it has to do with the right to decide."

The focus on independence has complicated matters for Podemos and ICV-backed coalition Sí que es Pot as they seek to counter prominent coverage of issues, such as Brussels' suggestion that an independent Catalonia would have to apply to join the EU, with a discourse on social issues.

"What divides Catalonia isn't the yes or no, but rather the 30% of Catalans at risk of poverty, as well as youth unemployment and the consequences of cuts made to social services by Mas," Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias said recently in an interview. The leftist front, which has said it supports the right to decide, is currently polling in third place in the regional elections.

But it could be the rise of Podemos, or the Socialists who have championed making Spain a federal country, that ultimately staves off a unilateral declaration of independence in Catalonia. Polls suggest that the national panorama will change after the general elections, due by the end of the year. With no party projected to obtain a clear majority, the elections could yield a central government more receptive to the Catalan issue.

Romeva refused to speculate, instead setting his sights on the coming regional elections as a make or break moment: "What I am absolutely convinced of is that nothing is going to change until there is a clear, democratic mandate in Catalonia."