SPAIN

State structures due in place ahead of Catalan separation from Spain

June 30, 2017

Regional president Carles Puigdemont vowed in September 2016 that state structures needed for an independent Catalonian state will be in place by the end of June. His promise followed a vote in the Catalonian parliament in favor of a second referendum on leaving Spain.

The country held a non-binding symbolic vote for Catalan independence in Nov 2014. The European Observer reported on Oct 7, 2016, that Catalan lawmakers backed plans for the referendum in Sep 2017 with 72 votes for and 11 abstentions.

The move defies an Aug 2016 decision by Spain’s Constitutional Court that annulled their demands to press ahead with independence. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has also repeatedly refused to back any measure that could lead to a split.

But the prosperous northeastern region remains defiant. It is seen as taking advantage of the political uncertainty in Madrid.

#21861 Published: October 12, 2016