Spain divided after Catalan referendum result

Early on the morning of October 2, the Catalan regional government in Spain announced the results of the vote on independence for the region.

The results of the vote showed that 90% of voters supported Catalan independence. However, the number of people who participated in the vote was only 42%. The result of the referendum immediately divided Spanish society.

Protests in Spain over Catalan independence referendum. Photo: Getty.

Catalan regional leader Carles Puigdemont said on October 2 that the Catalan people had won the right to become an independent nation after a controversial referendum there, with 90% of voters supporting it.

However, Mr. Puigdemont also said that due to opposition from the central government, the number of people participating in the vote was only over 42%, equivalent to more than 2 million out of over 5 million eligible voters: “Today, the Catalan region has won this referendum. Our voice has been heard, respected and recognized. Millions of people have faced difficulties and even threats but they have still raised their voices. We have sent and are sending a message to the world. We have the right to decide our future. We want freedom, to live in peace without violence.”

The central government has not commented on the results of the referendum. However, hours before the vote, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in a televised speech on October 1 that the Catalan people had been deceived. Most Catalans did not want to participate in the referendum. Mr. Rajoy also reiterated that Catalan leaders knew the vote was illegal, but they continued to go ahead. In the same speech, Prime Minister Rajoy called on the Catalan government to stop following a path that he said “leads nowhere.”

He also said he would call for a meeting with all political parties to consider the future of the country: “The Catalan government knows that the referendum is illegal, inappropriate and unfeasible, but they have decided to carry it out, promoting a real attack on the law and the model of democracy without caring about anyone or anything. We – the Government and I – the Prime Minister of Spain will try to carry out our duties in accordance with the law and only the law.”

Previously, the Spanish Constitutional Court also affirmed that the referendum in Catalonia was unconstitutional and went against the goals and ideals of the European Union (EU).

It is not yet known what the outcome of this referendum will be. However, even before it began, this event has caused deep divisions in Spanish society.

There were many supporters of the referendum, but also many who opposed it. On election day, supporters gathered in the capital Barcelona, ​​waving flags and singing the regional anthem.

At the same time, protests against the referendum also took place in Barcelona and several other Spanish cities. Clashes broke out between supporters and opponents, injuring more than 800 people, including police. At least three people were arrested after the clashes.

According to experts, if the Catalan issue is not resolved, it will threaten the unity of Spain as well as the European Union. In addition, since Spain is the fourth largest economy in the Eurozone, the instability in Catalonia will also affect the Spanish economy in particular and the economy of the Eurozone in general.

Catalonia is a wealthy region in the northeast of Spain, with 7.5 million inhabitants, accounting for about 16% of the total population. The region contributes 19% of Spain's GDP, 25.6% of the country's total exports and attracts 20.7% of foreign investment. Catalonia has its own language, culture and also has many autonomous rights. However, this region is still not considered an independent country under the Spanish constitution./.

According to VOV