Updated on Oct. 19 at 2:30 p.m.
On October 18, Spain's government announced that it would trigger a constitutional provision in an attempt to strip Catalonia of its bid for independence.
According to CNN, the Spanish government invoked Article 155 of the constitution, an article that allows the government to override any power or autonomy of the Catalan administration. It's unclear exactly how this article may take effect, but CNN reports it allows the Spanish government to take over any Catalan operations and trigger new elections.
CNN reported that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's cabinet will met on Saturday about the exact parameters of invoking Article 155, and that plan will then go before the Senate. If the article is invoked, it would be the first time ever.
Previously...
The future of Catalonia hangs in the balance as the Spanish region's president, Carles Puigdemont, is still calling for talks with the Spanish government, NPR reported. On October 1, the Catalonian people voted to become independent from Spain; but on October 10, Puigdemont announced he'd be delaying such a declaration in favor of talks with Madrid, Spain's capital.
Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, gave Puigdemont a deadline to clarify the declaration of independence; but although Puigdemont did send Rajoy a letter calling for more talks on October 16, he did not provide the demanded clarification. Now, Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, has imposed yet another deadline; writing in a letter that Puigdemont has until Thursday, October 19 to give a clear reply on Catalonia's plans for independence. If he doesn't comply, Spain may strip Catalonia of its autonomy by activating Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, according to NPR.
The region of Catalonia is trying to claim its independence from Spain, and recent protests have turned violent.
In the weeks leading up to October 1, the central government in Spain tried almost everything to block the vote on independence, from confiscating ballot boxes to arresting Catalan government officials. Just three days before the planned vote, the United Nations warned Spanish authorities that these efforts “appear to violate fundamental individual rights.”
On referendum day, images of Spanish police in riot gear smashing windows, breaking into polling stations, and hitting Catalans with clubs and rubber bullets flooded the Internet — as did footage of a few cases of sexual assault. Almost 900 people were injured as a result of the clashes.
But why is Catalonia trying to secede in the first place? And how did the fight to vote get so violent? We’re here to explain.
1. There’s a history of repression.
Catalonia is in the northeastern part of Spain. Its capital, Barcelona, is an economic hub and a popular destination for many American tourists. People there have their own language, Catalan — which many Catalans like to say is even older than Spanish — and Catalan identity is deep-rooted.
The region faced arrests and tortures during Francisco Franco's right-wing dictatorship, which lasted from 1936 to his death, in 1975. Under his rule, the use of the Catalan language was restricted and any public activities associated with Catalan nationalism were banned.
Many Catalans, however, argue that they’re still experiencing the dictatorship today — under the cloak of democracy. Spain’s ruling conservative party, the Partido Popular, was founded by Manuel Fraga, minister of information and tourism during the Francoist dictatorship.
2. The independence movement has gained traction in recent years.
Separatist sentiment has always existed in Catalonia, but the independence movement began to gain traction after an economic crisis in 2008, when the unemployment rate rose sharply. In 2010, the movement got even stronger after the Spanish courts struck down a statute of autonomy that would have granted Catalonia more control over the collection of its taxes. Catalonia is one of the richest regions in Spain, and Catalan people feel they contribute more to the central Spanish government in taxes than they receive back in public funds.
In a nonbinding poll held in 2014, 80% of Catalan voters opted for independence, though less than half of the region’s 5.5 million eligible voters took part. A poll from the regional government's Center for Opinion Studies, however, showed that about 41% Catalonia’s voters support independence.
3. Catalonia moves forward with independence vote.
After much controversy and anticipation, the Catalan government declared this summer that it would hold another independence referendum, on October 1— this time, however, it would be legally binding. Spain immediately vowed to take any necessary measures to stop it from taking place, claiming that the vote goes against the 1978 Constitution, which states the country is indivisible.
But after many raids and arrests, the Catalan people voted. More than 2 million people showed up, or around 42.3% of eligible voters — and the vote for independence won with 90%. That night, Spain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, said in a televised address that “there was no independence referendum in Catalonia today." And he responded to police injuring citizens during Sunday’s vote by saying, “We have done what we had to do,” according to a translation by France 24.
Catalonia’s president, Carles Puigdemont, responded in a statement in both Catalan and Spanish, saying that the Catalan people had won the right to independence and the region would declare independence in the coming days.
4. But the future is still unclear.
The Catalan government will make an announcement on Monday, October 9, and is likely to declare independence. But it’s still unclear what the implications could be, since such a move is unprecedented in Spain. On Thursday, the Spanish government ordered a temporary suspension of the meeting, but Catalans have not canceled the special session.
One of the possible results, however, could be a suspension of Catalonia’s current autonomy by the Spanish central government, which means the Catalan people would have no political control over their region.
Spain's Rajoy also faces an uncertain future: He was criticized by people on both sides of the issue following the use of police force on Catalan citizens. After Sunday’s violence, Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying the “state has a right to peaceful assembly and free expression.” And Barcelona’s mayor, Ada Colau, has called for Rajoy’s resignation.