Last month, a majority of voters in Catalonia took part in an unofficial referendum and expressed support for seceding from Spain. According to organizers, about 81 percent of participants voted in favor of independence.
On the institutional level, Catalonia’s regional parliament has approved a plan to begin separating from Spain by 2017. That decision directly challenges Madrid’s position that secession would violate the Spanish constitution. In November, the Catalan parliament passed a resolution by 72 votes to 63 declaring “the start of a process toward the creation of an independent Catalan state in the form of a republic” and asserting a “process of democratic disconnection not subject to the decisions by the institutions of the Spanish state.”
The unofficial vote drew large turnout and was organized by thousands of volunteers. Although the ballot was held outside Spain’s legal framework, approximately 2.25 million people—roughly half of the region’s eligible voters—took part. Catalonia has staged similar consultations more than a dozen times in recent years, but this was the largest to date.
Spain’s central government responded quickly and dismissed the vote’s legal effect. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy emphasized that Catalonia would remain part of Spain, stating that “Catalonia is not going anywhere” and pledging to block any bid for secession.