Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Catalans to renew independence bid with early election

  • Dwindling support for prime minster Mariano Rajoy and his conservative government (Photo: PP)

Catalan president Artur Mas on Wednesday (14 January) announced a regional election in September as part of a larger effort to renew an independence bid from Spain.

Madrid has staunchly opposed the secessionist drive with Spain’s constitutional court having banned any formal referendum.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • Artur Mas announced regional elections in September (Photo: iSabadell)

The northeastern region held a non-binding poll in November, sparking legal action against the Catalan leader from Spain’s top prosecutors.

But Mas is set to challenge the central government again after calling for an election on 27 September during a news conference on Wednesday.

A majority win for the separatist lawmakers in the 135-regional parliament chamber could lead to calls for a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain.

The intended election date was 2016 but has been moved to September, a few weeks ahead of Spain’s general elections, amid nation-wide dwindling support for prime minster Mariano Rajoy and his conservative government.

Many in Catalonia accuse Rajoy of distributing the region’s tax wealth to others in Spain without receiving any benefits in return from the central government.

Rajoy says Catalonia’s bid for independence is illegal.

Mas gave an 18-month timeline for a succession bid following the September election.

The move follows weeks of negotiations with the regional political parties over candidate lists.

"The climate of consensus had been growing weaker but today, happily that has changed,” said Mas.

He says the parliament election will be a show of support for the parties that want to break away from Madrid.

The original plan was to have the pro-independence groups run on a single ticket under Mas’ stewardship.

However, Mas was unable to muster up enough support to back the plan.

Instead, the two biggest separatist parities, Mas’s Convergencia (Convergence) and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (The Republican Left of Catalonia), will instead run on separate tickets in a so-called “shared road map”.

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. "Swiftly dial back" interest rates, ECB told
  2. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  3. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  4. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  5. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  6. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating
  7. Syrian mayor in Germany speaks out against AfD
  8. Asian workers pay price for EU ship recycling

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us