Sunday

3rd Dec 2023

Catalonia: 1.6mn vote for independent state

Over 1.6 million Catalans voted in favour of independence on Sunday (9 November) in an informal poll.

More than 80 percent of the 2 million people that cast a vote in the consultation, answered Yes to both questions: “Do you want Catalonia to be a state? If so, do you want this state to be independent?”.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

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

... or subscribe as a group

  • The vote looked official, but was non-binding and dubbed illegal by Spanish courts (Photo: Jordi Boixareu)

Another 10 percent said they wanted Catalonia to be a state but remain part of Spain, while 4.5 percent voted No to both questions.

But the vote was non-binding after Spain's constitutional court forbade Catalonia to hold a formal referendum.

Sunday's vote was also illicit after the court calls for its suspension pending an analysis on whether it breached the Spanish constitution.

Meanwhile, many Catalans who are against independence stayed at home, and there was no coherent No campaign.

With a turnout of 2 million people, the vote shows a substantial portion of the Catalans had the will to express themselves on the future of their region.

Because the vote was informal, it is difficult to determine what the official voter turnout percentage will be. But Spanish daily El Pais estimated 32.8 percent.

The result of the poll will strengthen the independence movement in Catalonia and the call for an official referendum down the line.

Catalan president Artur Mas called the vote a “success” and said the independence movement made a “giant step” towards a binding referendum.

The result shows “Catalonia wants to govern itself”, he noted, according to Spanish media.

He announced that he will explain on Tuesday (11 November) what next steps the movement will take. He also called on Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy to organise a referendum.

At the same time in Madrid, justice minister Rafael Catala called Sunday's vote “useless”.

“The government considers this to be a day of political propaganda organised by pro-independence forces and devoid of any kind of democratic validity”, he said in a statement.

The European Commission, for its part, said the vote was an internal matter. “It is not the role of the commission to express an opinion” on the poll, said spokesperson Margaritas Schinas.

The vote was organised by about 40,000 volunteers.

It came after the recently-held independence referendum in Scotland which saw Scots choose to remain part of the UK.

Defiant Catalonia holds independence poll

Catalans go to ballot boxes on Sunday to declare if they want Catalonia to be an independent state, despite the vote being suspended twice by Spanish courts.

Magazine

Separatism: Making Europe stronger?

The 2014 edition of EUobserver's Regions & Cities magazine looks at separatist movements across Europe and its impact on the union.

Scotland chooses to stay in UK

Voters in Scotland have said No to independence from the UK, but the intense campaigning and record-high turnout are models for separatist movements elsewhere in Europe.

Opinion

Dubai's COP28 — a view from the ground

Discussion of the biggest existential threat humanity has ever faced is barely mentioned on billboards or signage in Dubai — yet visitors are made aware quite quickly that t world rugby sevens tournament is imminent.

Opinion

'Pay or okay?' — Facebook & Instagram vs the EU

Since last week, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta corporation is forcing its European users to either accept their intrusive privacy practices — or pay €156 per year to access Facebook and Instagram without tracking advertising.

Latest News

  1. Israel's EU ambassador: 'No clean way to do this operation'
  2. Brussels denies having no 'concern' on Spain's amnesty law
  3. Dubai's COP28 — a view from the ground
  4. Germany moves to criminalise NGO search-and-rescue missions
  5. Israel recalls ambassador to Spain in new diplomatic spat
  6. Migrant return bill 'obstructed' as EU states mull new position
  7. Paris and Berlin key to including rape in gender-violence directive
  8. What are the big money debates at COP28 UN climate summit?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us