CATALAN CRISIS : RAJOY REJECTS EX-CATALAN LEADER'S CALL TO MEET; NO MOOD FOR COMPROMISE AFTER CLOSE VOTE
 |
| People are celebrating declaration of independence of Catalonia |
The day after elections in Catalonia deepened the split between its
separatist parties and the Spanish government, both sides are in a defiant
mood.
The elections gave the three pro-independence parties a slight majority
in the regional Parliament, underscoring the resilience of their vote after
three months of upheaval. After a record turnout of over 80%, they won 70 of
the 135 seats, compared with 72 in the 2015.
But again they won a fraction less than half of the total votes cast
(nearly 48%), slightly less than they did in 2015. The party of former Catalan
President Carlos Puigdemont won 34 seats -- even though he has been in
self-imposed exile in Belgium since October.
Puigdemont described the vote as a slap in the face for Spanish Prime
Minister Mariano Rajoy.
"We have won this election in exceptional circumstances, with
candidates in prison, with the government in exile and without having the same
resources as the state," Puigdemont said in Brussels.
And he issued a challenge to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy: a meeting
without preconditions somewhere in Europe to resolve the crisis.
Rajoy wasn't taking the bait. In remarks in Madrid Friday, he said the
vote showed that Catalonia was deeply divided. And he pointed out that a
pro-union party, Ciudadanos (Citizens), known in Catalonia as Ciutadans, had
outpolled every other party. It became the largest in the Catalan parliament,
with 37 seats.
The trouble for Rajoy is that his own Popular Party was hammered --
losing eight of its 11 seats in the Parliament. His goal of lancing the boil of
the Catalan separatist movement through these elections has backfired. Party
spokesman Rafael Hernando said only that the government and Senate in Madrid
remained the most solid guarantee against the forces of independence.
related -BARCELONA DEMANDING INDEPENDENCE FOR CATALONIA
The result suggests further uncertainty in a region that accounts for a
quarter of Spain's gross domestic product, and possibly months of haggling over
the formation of a regional government, with seven parties represented in the
Parliament. The pro-independence parties are not exactly a coherent bloc, and
if they fail to form a government by April next year there would be yet another
election.
Forming a majority will be complicated by the fact that several of
those elected are either in detention or self-imposed exile.
In effect, Rajoy's attempt to resolve the crisis through new elections
has only cemented the status quo. But the pro-independence parties will
probably think twice before trying an encore in declaring Catalonia's
separation from Spain, given the sequence of events that was triggered in
October. Additionally, the most radical of the pro-independence parties, the
Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), did very poorly and in winning less than half
the popular vote they lack a mandate to declare independence.
related-CATALAN PRO-INDEPENDENCE CLAIM VICTORY IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
The upheaval -- the worst constitutional crisis in Spain's four decades
as a democracy -- began with the Catalan government holding a referendum on the
region's future on October 1, despite it being declared illegal by Spain's
Constitutional Court. The vote was marred by violence, with the Civil Guard
sent in by Madrid to try to prevent voting. Despite a boycott by most pro-union
voters, the separatist parties used the result to push the declaration of
independence through Parliament.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy attends a session of the Spanish
Senate in Madrid. Rajoy asked the Senate for the go-ahead to depose Catalan
leader Carles Puigdemont and his executive in a bid to stop their independence
drive.
The result suggests further uncertainty in a region that accounts for a
quarter of Spain's gross domestic product, and possibly months of haggling over
the formation of a regional government, with seven parties represented in the
Parliament. The pro-independence parties are not exactly a coherent bloc, and
if they fail to form a government by April next year there would be yet another
election.
related- CATALAN ELECTION RESULT 2017: SPAIN'S CRISIS IS INTENSIFIED OR OVER BY TODAY'S ELECTION!!
Forming a majority will be complicated by the fact that several of
those elected are either in detention or self-imposed exile.
In effect, Rajoy's attempt to resolve the crisis through new elections
has only cemented the status quo. But the pro-independence parties will
probably think twice before trying an encore in declaring Catalonia's
separation from Spain, given the sequence of events that was triggered in
October. Additionally, the most radical of the pro-independence parties, the
Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), did very poorly and in winning less than half
the popular vote they lack a mandate to declare independence.
The upheaval -- the worst constitutional crisis in Spain's four decades
as a democracy -- began with the Catalan government holding a referendum on the
region's future on October 1, despite it being declared illegal by Spain's
Constitutional Court. The vote was marred by violence, with the Civil Guard
sent in by Madrid to try to prevent voting. Despite a boycott by most pro-union
voters, the separatist parties used the result to push the declaration of
independence through Parliament.
The turmoil has had a chilling effect on Catalonia's economy, Foreign
investment fell by 75% in the third quarter of this year compared to a year
ago. Two of Spain's largest banks -- Caixa and Sabadell -- decided to move
their headquarters out of Catalonia -- as did some 3,000 other companies. The
latest result, and the uncertainty that lies ahead, won't have them hurrying
back to Catalonia.
No comments