Catalan Separatist Parties Win Spain-Imposed Regional Vote

Puigdemont Declares Victory for Catalan Republic

After rolling back Catalonia’s declaration of independence, Spain forced a new regional vote in the area, hoping that mass arrests and exile of Catalan leaders would sweep pro-Unionist parties into power. Catalonia has since voted, and that assumption by Spain has proven false, with the separatist groups winning an outright majority.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont

Separatist groups retain 70 out of 135 seats in the Catalan parliament, with President Carles Puigdemont’s party winning 34 seats, the largest in the secessionist coalition, suggesting they and the Republican Left, at 32 seats, will continue to drive pro-independence ambitions.

Interestingly, the pro-Unionist Citizens Party actually won the plurality among individual parties at 36 seats, but has no way to form a majority government with what’s left, as the People’s Party, which rules Spain’s central government, losing almost all of its seats, and down to a paltry 4 in Catalonia.

What this means remains to be seen, with the Citizens Party claiming their tiny plurality proved Catalans favor unity, but members of the secessionist coalition saying the vote was vindication for the previous secessionist referendum, and that Spain must accept the mandate given to the Catalan Republic.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.