Catalonia 2017 (A): A Secession and Constitutional Crisis
On October 27, 2017, Carles Puigdemont, the President of Catalonia, faced an important decision that could determine the course of his region and career. Twenty-seven days earlier, 92 percent of Catalan voters had called for the region to break away from Spain and form an independent republic. The referendum was strongly opposed by the Spanish central government in Madrid, which deployed national police forces to prevent the vote from taking place, seizing ballot boxes and clashing with pro-independence voters.
Catalonia is a region in northeastern Spain that borders France to the north, with approximately 700 kilometers (434 miles) of Mediterranean coastline. Barcelona, the capital, is an economic, cultural, and tourist hub in Spain and Europe. In 2017, Catalonia’s population was 7,448,000. Catalans speak a distinct language, Catalan, and many among them have long seen themselves as being separate from the rest of Spain. A 2010 ruling by the Spanish Constitutional Court holding that the reference to Catalonia as a “nation” in the 2006 Statute of Autonomy had no legal effect, together with the economic crisis of 2008–10, strained relations between Catalonia and Madrid. Many Catalans complained that the central government appropriated more money from the region than it returned in investments.
The referendum on independence was approved by the Catalan Parliament in September 2017 and immediately opposed by the central government. The central government seized Catalan finances, obtained a court order, and sent more than 6,000 federal officers to the region. On the day of the referendum, October 1st, violent clashes broke out between police and voters. Forty-three percent of the population (approximately 2.3 million) voted in the referendum despite the central government’s actions, though many observers argued that the low turnout was best explained by unionist voters’ decision to stay home.
The opposing reactions of the Catalan and Spanish press to the referendum revealed deep polarization on the issue. For supporters of the referendum, the Spanish government’s violent response, which had left hundreds injured, had added to their sense of grievance and desire for independence. For opponents of independence, the referendum presented a direct challenge to Spain’s constitutional order and was described by many as an act of sedition, a coup d’êtat.
The conflict escalated. The main opposition party, the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español, PSOE), joined the ruling Popular Party (Partido Popular, PP) in condemning the vote. Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, prepared to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution. This decision, which would suspend self-government and result in direct rule over Catalonia, had no precedent in Spain’s democratic history. The European Commission also sided with the central government. In Catalonia, anger over police violence sparked massive protests and a general strike on October 3 that paralyzed the region. That night, in an extraordinary, televised address, the King of Spain, Felipe VI, condemned Catalan leaders for deepening polarization.
With tensions at fever pitch, Puigdemont appeared before the Catalan Parliament on October 10, declared independence, and immediately put it on hold, calling for dialogue with Madrid. The move disappointed pro-independence forces and confused the Spanish government. When Rajoy’s government demanded clarification, Puigdemont refused to respond directly, instead requesting negotiations. Meanwhile, two pro-independence civic society leaders were detained and jailed without bail, pending investigation. With events progressing quickly in late October, Puigdemont met with his cabinet and determined he had two options. He could convene Parliament to vote for a unilateral declaration of independence, or he could dissolve the Parliament and call for early regional elections.