Catalonia’s Independence Movement : What the fuss is all about

catalonia
We have been hearing a lot over the news about Catalonia’s Independence movement against Spain. Catalonia is a small region in the Northeastern part of Spain. The four main provinces in this region are Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona. The Catalan Independence Referendum was held on 1 October, 2017 in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia.
Earlier in September, the Catalan government held a vote for the independence of Catalonia from Spain. But due to the Spanish government’s suppression, only 43.03% could turn up for voting. The referendum question, which voters answered with “Yes” or “No”, was “Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?”. The “Yes” side won, with 2,044,038 (92.01%) voting for independence and 177,547 (7.99%) voting against. But due to the police crackdown, more than 770,000 votes were not cast as people didn’t leave their houses to go for voting. Also, 1066 civilians and 11 agents of the National Police and the Guardia Civil, and 1 from the regional police the Mossos d’Esquadra were injured on the day of elections.
The referendum was approved by the Catalan parliament in a session on 6 September 2017 along with a law which states that independence would be binding with a simple majority, without requiring a minimum turnout. After being suspended, the law was finally declared void on 17 October and is also illegal according to the Catalan Statutes of Autonomy which require a two third majority in the Catalan parliament for any change to Catalonia’s status.
You will be surprised to hear the reason for this Independence movement. Many people in the Northeast believe that Catalonia’s language, history and cultural traditions set it apart from the rest of Spain. They claim to have never felt Spanish their whole life. They feel that they are not treated equally and their problems are left far away from the Spanish authorities in Madrid. They believe they are following the footsteps of their ancestors and want freedom for their community. The Catalans have already declared Barcelona the new capital of their country even when their Independence movement was suppressed by the Spanish government. Public schools in the region now teach in Catalan. In the past decade, polls suggested only about 20 per cent of Catalans wanted to break free from Spain. But in recent years, economic crisis and political hostility between Barcelona and Madrid have left many Catalans feeling the need for a new nation which they can call their own.
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