Catalonia vote: Pro-independence parties win elections

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Pro-independence parties in Spain's Catalonia region have won an absolute majority in regional elections, near complete results show.

With more than 90% of the votes counted, the main separatist alliance and a smaller party won 72 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament.

They said earlier a majority would allow them to declare independence from Spain unilaterally within 18 months.

The central government in Madrid has pledged to block such moves in court.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34372548

[LiberalArkie]

1. Interesting. Could things be changing around the world?

[Jake Stern]

2. Hopefully followed quickly by Basque country. nt

[itcfish]

7. Why Hopefully?

What would a divided Spain accomplish? This is terrible. This could actually start another civil war.

[christx30]

9. How would it help for Spain

to force people to be a part of it if they don't want to be?

[Jake Stern]

11. Let's run with that thinking

What would a divided Soviet Union accomplish?

What would a divided Yugoslavia accomplish?

What would a divided Czechoslovakia accomplish?

Why shouldn't Catalans and Basques have the same right to choose whether they stay in this (forced) marriage that Kosovars, Latvians and Slovaks had?

[forest444]

3. One sixth of Spain's population, and one fifth of its economy.

This is a big deal - the equivalent of having two Texases secede.

[geek tragedy]

8. If Texas were more liberal than the rest of the country . . . nt

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Wow!

[Adrahil]

5. Stephen Maturin would be pleased....

But i do eonder how smaller, more factionalized nations and economies are going to be good for the proplr in the long run.

[Eugene]

6. Catalan head indicted for calling referendum on split from Spain

Source: Reuters

World | Tue Sep 29, 2015 7:07am EDT

Catalan head indicted for calling referendum on split from Spain

MADRID

Catalonia's Supreme Court indicted the acting head of the Catalan regional government on Tuesday after he pushed ahead with a referendum on independence from Spain last year despite such a vote being ruled unconstitutional by the courts.

The preliminary charges of disobedience, abuse of authority and usurping authority are leveled at Artur Mas, the most visible face of Catalan separatist aspirations, just two days after his party won a regional election.

Secessionist parties on Sunday secured an absolute majority in the regional parliament, although they won 48 percent of the votes cast.

Mas will testify in court in October for pressing on with a non-binding referendum on independence last November after it was suspended by the Constitutional Court, backed by Spain's national government.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/29/us-spain-catalonia-idUSKCN0RT18M20150929

[whatthehey]

10. Hmmm.. facing a potential relocation to the area

I have no dog in their independence fight and lack sufficient data to make an informed decision (I'm not so kneejerk as to automatically favor the smaller group like a fair percentage of DUers, and in this case that way lies madness as there are several Catalonian subpopulations and dialects), but personally speaking it could get a bit more complicated re. visas. Also, my Spanish is passable but suboptimal at best. My Catalan is...nonexistent, as I suspect is the case for most non-natives. While I am sure even an independent region would at least remain bilingual for a long time, any moves to de-emphasize Spanish could be a hurdle too. It will be interesting to watch developments.