Catalonia crisis

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Catalan Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont reading his declaration on the independence process in front of the regional parliament in Barcelona on October 10, 2017

The Catalonia Crisis describes the political crisis in Spain that was triggered by a controversial independence referendum on October 1, 2017 , which was declared unconstitutional by the Spanish Constitutional Court . A majority of the participants, with little participation, spoke out in favor of a Catalonia independent of Spain .

On October 27, 2017, the Catalan Parliament voted in favor of Catalonia's unilateral declaration of independence ; On the same day, the Spanish government, citing a constitutional emergency, declared the Catalan regional government of Carles Puigdemont to be dismissed, suspended the self-administration of the region of Catalonia and announced new regional parliamentary elections. A little later, Puigdemont and other separatists were sued for their role in organizing the referendumwhereupon Puigdemont and four of his ministers fled abroad and other defendants were arrested. In the elections in December 2017, separatist parties again gained a narrow majority in parliament, but were unable to enforce Puigdemont, who had fled, as Catalan prime minister; The separatist Quim Torra was only elected as the new prime minister in mid-May 2018 . With the appointment of a new regional government under Torra in early June 2018, the direct administration of Catalonia from Madrid ended; the conflict with the Catalan separatists continues to determine political events in Spain.

course

prehistory

In 2006 a new statute of autonomy came into force for the region of Catalonia . The Statutes of Autonomy are the “constitutions” of the Autonomous Communities; they are particularly important for the distribution of competences between the Spanish state and the regions. The adoption and amendment of the Statute of Autonomy requires the approval of both the regional parliament and the Spanish parliament and, in the case of Catalonia, the subsequent approval in a referendum in the region.

In the referendum in June 2006, 73.9% of voters (with a turnout of 49%) voted in favor of the new statute. The text was only confirmed by the Spanish parliament after some serious changes. After being signed by King Juan Carlos I , the law came into effect on August 9, 2006. Against the new statute of autonomy, the conservative Partido Popular filed a norm control motion in which it questioned the constitutionality of the law. The judgment of the Constitutional Court ( Tribunal Constitucional ) was not pronounced until June 2010 after a four-year trial. In this, however, the court declared only 14 provisions of the Statute of Autonomy to be unconstitutional and determined for 27 others how they should be interpreted according to the constitution. In its other points, it rejected the request.

Parallel to this and as a result of the financial crisis, the regional government under the then Prime Minister Artur Mas increasingly relied on separatist rhetoric, among other things because Catalonia was suffering economically due to high domestic transfer payments. In 2014, the regional government again set a formal referendum by decree. In the referendum, the citizens of Catalonia should be asked the following question: “Do you want Catalonia to become a state?” Those who answer this question with “yes” should answer a second question, namely: “Do you want this one State is independent? ”The survey should be purely consultative. Such a formal referendum did not take place, however, because the decree was suspended due to a judicial review application submitted to the Constitutional Court by the Spanish government. Instead, the regional government initiated the citizen participation process with an "alternative vote" on November 9, 2014, without a legal basis, in which the same ballot papers were used. According to the regional government, around a third of those entitled to vote took part in the vote. Of these, around 80% voted for the region to be independent from Spain (so they answered “yes” to both questions).

On November 25, 2014, Prime Minister Mas announced in a speech that he would seek early elections to the regional parliament with a “plebiscitary character” on the question of the region's independence from Spain. This should be achieved by all forces supporting independence join forces to form a common electoral list with the common goal of achieving independence within 18 months after the election. The elections were finally scheduled for September 27, 2015; as a result, it accounted for those forces who advocate a unilateral declaration of independence ( Junts pel Sí (JxSí), as an electoral alliance between Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) and Partit Demòcrata Europeu Català (PDeCat)) together with the left-wing alternative Candidatura d'Unitat Popular (CUP), the absolute majority in parliament (72 out of 135 seats). Their joint share of the vote, however, fell short of the majority of those who voted with just under 48%. The CUP rejected Mas as head of government on corruption allegations as president. Eventually Mas renounced; In January 2016, the previous mayor of Girona, Carles Puigdemont, was elected as his successor at the last possible date without having to call for new elections.

Diada Nacional de Catalunya , Barcelona, ​​September 2017

The referendum of October 1, 2017 and its results

The new regional government of Puigdemont originally envisaged a law to hold a new referendum for August 2017; However, the referendum law was only passed on September 6, 2017 by the Catalan regional parliament in a turbulent session. The law was voted for by 72 MPs from the governing coalition of Junts pel Sí and the CUP. The eleven deputies of the faction Catalunya Sí que es pot (common fraction of Podemos, ICV and EUiA) abstained. The 52 MPs from Ciudadanos, PSC and PP left the plenary session before the vote; the 2/3 majority required for the law was not given. According to this referendum law, later declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court, the result of the referendum set for October 1st is binding. If there are more yes than no votes, according to Art. 4 of the law, the regional parliament should meet within two days of the publication of the voting results to declare Catalonia's independence.

Although the holding of the referendum on October 1 was hindered by police measures by the Spanish government and there were numerous irregularities in the election process, the regional government announced a preliminary election result the following day: With a turnout of 42.5%, there were 2,020,144 ( 90.09%) Yes votes, 176,565 (7.87%) No votes, 45,568 (2.03%) blank ballots and 20,129 (0.89%) invalid votes; According to the law, the invalid votes are not taken into account for the calculation of the proportion of yes and no votes as well as the blank ballot papers.

The final result was not published until several days later, on October 6, but deviated only slightly from this. However, due to the circumstances of the referendum, an independent review of the election results is not possible.

Suspension of the independence process

On October 10, 2017, the Prime Minister of the Catalan Generalitat (Autonomous Government ) , Carles Puigdemont , declared in a speech before the regional parliament, postponed several times, in which the separatists had expected the declaration of independence, that he had initially suspended the independence process. His goal was to start a dialogue with the central government in Madrid in the next few weeks and to try to mediate. In the referendum on October 1, the Catalans clearly spoke out in favor of independence and thus the right to become an independent state. However, he suggested that Parliament wait a few weeks and enter into a dialogue. He then signed a declaration of independence with other members of his government and the parliamentarians of the governing parties ( Junts pel Sí and CUP ), which proclaimed Catalonia an independent republic, but this declaration of independence was not submitted to parliament for a vote. The opposition criticized the declaration and refused to sign the document.

The suspension of the expected declaration of independence caused disappointment for many separatists. The following days were marked by internal clashes and wing struggles within the Catalan government and in the camp of independence advocates, whose more radical representatives demanded the immediate implementation of independence, sometimes reproaching Puigdemont and calling him a “traitor”, while others in view of the worsening situation tended to de-escalate and initially wanted to avoid further unilateral steps.

The EU reiterated that a declaration of independence would lead to an automatic withdrawal from the EU and stated that the independence question was an internal matter for Spain and that it would therefore not be available for mediation between Madrid and Barcelona, ​​as originally hoped by the pro-independence advocates. The Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy maintained the position that the referendum was illegal and on the following day called on the Catalan regional government to clarify by October 16 what the real position of the regional government was on independence; this period was extended to October 19 after the expiry. In his response, Puigdemont threatened a formal vote on independence in the regional parliament if the Spanish government continued its repression and did not enter into negotiations.

The government in Madrid described the response as unsatisfactory and initiated possible measures to abolish the autonomy of Catalonia under Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution . Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution is closely based on the provisions of federal compulsion under the German Basic Law. The possible application of Article 155 was compared in 2016 by constitutional lawyer Bar Cendón with the British government's constitutional reform program in the Northern Ireland conflict in 1998 .

Declaration of independence and dismissal of the regional government

On October 21, 2017, Rajoy, citing Article 155, announced the disempowerment of the Catalan regional government and new elections within 6 months in order to restore constitutional order and economic stability in Catalonia. The measures should still be approved by the Spanish Senate in a meeting scheduled for October 27th. The planned measures were agreed in advance with the opposition parties PSOE and Ciudadanos .

The central government announced that this would not remove the autonomy and that all measures should be implemented gradually. Specifically, the measures, which are designed to last a maximum of six months, provide for the entire regional government around Puigdemont to be ousted; the Catalan authorities should continue to function normally under the direct supervision of the competent ministers in Madrid, including the Catalan regional police , the Mossos d'Esquadra , which will report directly to the interior minister; the tax authorities must ensure that funds are not misused for secessionist purposes, and the public media must ensure that reporting is balanced and objective. If the central government refuses to follow instructions, it can order personnel measures. At the same time, powers are withdrawn from the regional parliament and the government can dissolve it.

In a speech on TV3, Catalan public television , Puigdemont said that the application of Article 155 was a coup against the rule of law and called on the Catalan people to unite to defend their institutions; he would convene a plenary session of the regional parliament so that the representatives of the people could debate the attempted liquidation of democracy and autonomy and draw appropriate conclusions. Until October 26th, Puigdemont considered holding new elections itself; he had been signaled, among other things. via the Prime Minister of the Basque Country, Iñigo Urkullu, in the event of a proclamation of autonomous elections, the Spanish government could dispense with the announced coercive measures. Voices were raised from the ranks of those who favored independence that this represented treason; Puigdemont then stated that there were no guarantees that the coercive measures would be suspended. According to Puigdemont's observers, the decision to hold new elections would have been the last opportunity to avoid further escalation of the conflict.

On October 27, parallel to the session of the Spanish Senate on the application of Article 155, the regional parliament voted with 70 votes (out of a total of 135 MPs) for independence and the proclamation of a Catalan republic; the opposition members of the Ciutadans , PSC and PP had previously left the regional parliament in protest. The Spanish Constitutional Court immediately declared the vote illegal; a little later, the Spanish Senate approved with a bipartisan majority (214 of 262 votes) the removal of the Catalan regional government and the disempowerment of the regional parliament.

On the same evening, the Spanish government announced the dismissal of the entire Catalan regional government, the leadership of the Catalan police and a number of top officials and called for calm; at the same time, the Catalan parliament was dissolved and early elections announced for December 21, 2017; the regular legislative period ran until 2019 and the announcement of elections at the earliest possible date is seen as an attempt to de-escalate the crisis.

On the following day, Rajoy appointed the vice-president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría as acting president of the Catalan Generalitat until a new government was appointed after the new elections to succeed the deposed Puigdemont. The Catalan public television broadcaster TV3 was not placed under the supervision of the central government as originally planned.

Actions by the Spanish judiciary

On October 16, the two separatist activist leaders Jordi Sànchez , head of the ANC , and Jordi Cuixart, head of Òmnium Cultural , were taken into custody by order of the judiciary; they are accused of public " riot " ( sedicion ), in the run-up to the referendum, on September 20 the following night, as ringleaders of an organized crowd of 40,000, which was led and fed through social networks and personally on site the police obstructed; The demonstrators wanted to prevent the house searches ordered by the judiciary and the arrest of violent criminals and also caused wanton property damage. The independence advocates described this decision as repression and the two as political prisoners. At the same time, Josep Lluís Trapero, head of the Mossos d'Esquadra (the Catalan police), who was accused of being passive in preventing the referendum, was released without bail.

On October 30, 2017, the Spanish Public Prosecutor's Office brought charges against Puigdemont, Vice President Oriol Junqueras and other disempowered members of the government for rebellion, rebellion against the state authority and misappropriation of public funds (for their use in the referendum prohibited by the Constitutional Court).

On October 31, 2017, the criminal chamber of the Audiencia Nacional ordered Puigdemont and the other accused cabinet members to appear in court on November 2 and 3, 2017. Puigdemont traveled to Belgium with seven of his ministers on October 30, 2017 in anticipation of the indictment and stated at a press conference in Brussels on October 31, 2017 that he would not obey the summons. Three of his ministers returned to Spain after the press conference. All nine members of the government who appeared for questioning on November 2 were arrested; the Audiencia Nacional justified the determination of the accused with a view to leaving Puigdemont with an increased risk of flight. The next day, the former minister Santi Vila , who had resigned the day before the Catalan Parliament's “declaration of independence”, was released on bail. Also on November 3, 2017, a European arrest warrant was issued against Puigdemont and four other ministers who did not appear for questioning . Puigdemont and the ex-ministers surrendered to the Belgian police, but were released under certain conditions.

In separate proceedings before the Tribunal Supremo against the members of the Catalan parliamentary presidency, the prosecutor requested the arrest of Carme Forcadell, the parliamentary speaker , and three other members of the presidium on November 9th . Forcadell stated in court that the declaration of independence was only of "symbolic" and "declarative" nature and without any legal consequences ; The arrested Vice President, Oriol Junqueras, also defended this thesis in his defense in court.

The court ordered Forcadell and three board members to be released on bail. On December 4th, 6 of the former members of the Catalan government were also released on bail; Junqueras, Joaquim Forn, former interior minister, and Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart remained in custody. On December 5, 2017, the Supreme Court in Spain withdrew the European arrest warrant against Puigdemont and four former ministers. The national arrest warrants at Spanish level remained in place. The judge justified the decision by stating that the investigations and judgments in the case should not be in the hands of multiple courts.

On March 23, 2018, the proceedings against Puigdemont and 12 other accused were opened (Vice-President Oriol Junqueras, the ex-ministers Joaquim Forn, Jordi Turull , Raül Romeva , Clara Ponsatí, Josep Rull, Antoni Comin and Dolors Bassa, Speaker of Parliament Carme Forcadell , number 2 of ERC, Marta Rovira, as well as Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart) for rebellion and misappropriation of public funds. Proceedings were opened against other ex-ministers (Meritxell Borràs, Lluis Puig, Carles Mundó, Santi Vila and Meritxell Serret) because of the lesser allegations of disobedience (willful disregard of the decisions of the Constitutional Court) and embezzlement of public funds. Five other members of the parliamentary presidium (Llus Maria Corominas, Lluis Guinó, Anna Simó, Ramona Barrufet and Joan Josep Nuet), the former president of the CUP, Mireia Boya, and the group spokeswoman for the CUP, Anna Gabriel, were only charged for disobedience. Turull, Rull, Romeva, Bassa and Forcadell were arrested again due to increased risk of escape.

Marta Rovira had previously evaded the summons to court by fleeing to Switzerland after she had given up her parliamentary mandate the previous evening; Anna Gabriel had already gone there beforehand. The European arrest warrants against Puigdemont and the other members of the government who had fled were renewed in December; a European arrest warrant against Rovira was also issued.

On March 25, Puigdemont was arrested in Germany while passing through from Finland to Belgium. At the beginning of April 2018, the German judiciary issued an extradition arrest warrant against him only for embezzlement; the accusation of rebellion under the Spanish penal code was not accepted, as the alleged behavior was not punishable under German law. He was bail granted bail. On July 12, the first criminal division of the Higher Regional Court of Schleswig-Holstein decided to extradite to Spain on charges of misappropriating public funds, but not on charges of rebellion. Puigdemont was not a "spiritual leader" of violence; the extent of violence surrounding the referendum did not lead directly to the separation from Spain. On July 19, 2018, the responsible investigating judge, Pablo Llarena, refused extradition on charges of misappropriating public funds and at the same time withdrew the European arrest warrant against Puigdemont and the ex-ministers.

Elections on December 21, 2017

Positioning of the parties involved

On October 30, the two largest independence parties, ERC and PDeCAT, announced that they would take part in the elections on December 21, even if they were “illegitimate”. Puigdemont requested a unified list of all independence supporters from Brussels and let it be known that he wanted to run as the top candidate as president of the “government-in-exile”. The PDeCAT and ERC did not succeed in agreeing on such a unit list before November 7th (the last possible date to officially register one), so that the Junts pel Sí was not reissued . PDeCAT therefore competed with Puigdemont and the imprisoned Jordi Sànchez in second place on the list under the name Junts per Catalunya (JuntsxCat) .

The vast majority of the imprisoned members of the government, as well as Carme Forcadell, Speaker of Parliament, stood behind Oriol Junqueras on the ERC list. The radical CUP, which had been one of the strongest representatives of the independence course, also decided to come up with its own list at a general meeting on November 12th. For the election campaign, PDeCAT and ERC increasingly moved away from the previous one-sidedness of the independence process and admitted that the “early” declaration of independence had been a mistake. Only the CUP continued to take a hard line with demands for immediate independence in order to preserve the "success of the October 1st referendum".

The unionist parties Partit Popular (PP), Ciutadans (Cs) and Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC) refused to form a joint list. Podem, the Catalan offshoot of Podemos , could not commit to one line. The chairman of Podem, Albano Dante Fachin, resigned on November 6th because his support for the unilateral declaration of independence was not supported by the party leadership. Catalunya en Comú , the party of Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau , which formed an electoral alliance with Podem in the 2015 elections, refused to join a single list for independence and, like Podemos, refused to apply Article 155.

Result

In the elections, the supporters of independence again received an absolute majority in the Catalan parliament with 70 out of 135 seats, and the Junts per Catalunya alliance became the strongest force among them with 34 seats. The Ciudadanos party, which campaigns against independence, formed the strongest single faction in parliament with 36 seats. The ERC received 32, the PSC 17, CatComú – Podem 8 and the CUP 4 seats. The PP of the Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy formed the smallest parliamentary group with 4 seats and fewer votes than the CUP, several even weaker parties did not move into parliament. Despite a strong increase in voter turnout, the percentage of voters who supported independence remained below 50% at 47.5% (2015 parliamentary election: 47.7%); the separatist majority in parliament resulted from the relative underweighting of the unionist metropolitan areas of Barcelona and Tarragona. The unionist parties together received 43.49% and the electoral alliance CatComú-Podem 7.45% of the vote, which is not defined on the question of independence.

Formation of a government in Catalonia after the 2017 elections

After the elections, on December 23, 2017, the central government began withdrawing the National Police and the Guardia Civil , who had been sent to Catalonia in September 2017 in the run-up to the independence referendum. In his New Year's address for 2018, Carles Puigdemont spoke out in favor of negotiations with the Spanish government on independence; As a consequence of the elections, he also called for his reinstatement as Prime Minister of Catalonia, although he is subject to arrest on his return to Spain due to the still outstanding arrest warrant. Rajoy also announced that after its suspension under Article 155, if Puigdemont is re-elected as Prime Minister by the regional parliament without his previous return, the autonomy could not be restored, since Catalonia could not be ruled remotely. The parliamentary lawyers called on by the parliamentary presidium also confirmed in an expert opinion that an appointment as prime minister is only possible with a personal presence in parliament and not by video or delegation.

The constituent session of the newly elected regional parliament took place on January 17, 2018; it was Roger Torrent ( ERC ) elected as the new President of Parliament. The three newly elected MPs who were in custody had delegated their votes, Puigdemont and the other four ex-ministers who had fled had waived their vote. The newly elected Presidium is responsible for determining the mode of voting for the formation of a government, including whether elections by delegation and in absentia are permitted. Despite legal concerns, the newly elected President of Parliament nominated Carles Puigdemont as the only candidate for regional president for the upcoming election on January 22, 2018. On January 22, 2018, Puigdemont then declared that it wanted to form a government. The Spanish government filed a lawsuit against Puigdemont's nomination in the Spanish Constitutional Court on January 26, 2018. In an injunction , this decided that Puigdemont had to be present at the election.

The parliamentary sessions for the election of the government should take place no later than January 31, 2018 (first ballot with election of the president by an absolute majority ) or on February 2 (second ballot with decision by simple majority ). The parliamentary plenary session scheduled for January 30th , in which the election of Puigdemont was to take place, was postponed at short notice by Torrent for an indefinite period in order to await a final decision by the Constitutional Court on the candidate's requirement to be present; the parliamentary calendar for an investiture until the beginning of April was thus suspended, which also extended the provisional government of the region through Madrid.

On March 1, Puigdemont "temporarily" resigned his candidacy and appointed Jordi Sànchez, who was in custody, as his substitute candidate. An election of Sànchez was initially scheduled, but the necessary plenary session was not called when it became clear that Sànchez would not be released from custody at short notice. Subsequently, on March 21, Jordi Turull , former government spokesman under Puigdemont, who is also charged but has been on bail since early December, was appointed by JxCat and ERC as a new candidate for the presidency of the region; his election was unsuccessful on March 22nd in the first round of opposition from the CUP; Turull, however, was rescheduled the previous day after a subpoena on the riot indictment, and his candidacy was unsuccessful. With the failed election of Turull, however, the normal parliamentary calendar was put into effect - if a government had not been formed by May 22, 2018, parliamentary elections would have had to take place again.

Quim Torra with a yellow bow

At the beginning of May 2018, the attempt to enable Puigdemont to be elected regional president despite his absence through a change in the law failed due to a decision by the Spanish Constitutional Court. As a result, Puigdemont surprisingly proposed Quim Torra , who was not incriminated by the judiciary, but who was considered a hardliner and had been elected for JuntsxCat, as a candidate; on May 14th he was elected the new President of the Generalitat with a narrow majority in the second ballot (66 votes in favor, 65 against and 4 abstentions by the CUP ); in his speech to the regional parliament he described himself as the interim president; the legitimate president is still Puigedemont; he would also be loyal to the result of the referendum of October 1, 2017, which gave him the mandate to build an independent Catalan republic. From May 2018 to September 2020 he was President of the Generalitat de Catalunya , the regional government of Catalonia. In September 2020, a judgment passed against him became final, according to which he is not allowed to hold political office for 18 months (see section “Yellow Ribbons”).

Regional government under Quim Torra and talks by the Spanish government

Quim Torra, the newly elected Prime Minister of the Catalan regional government in the regional parliament, signaled before taking office in a joint appearance with Puigdemont in Berlin that he was “ready for dialogue” with the Spanish government in Madrid; when he was sworn in on May 17th, the Spanish flag was removed and Torra refused, contrary to custom (but also like Puigdemont when he was sworn in in 2015) to the declaration of loyalty to the Spanish constitution and the king; only "secondary" representatives of the Spanish government were invited to the ceremony, none accepted this invitation.

A little later, Torra announced the composition of his government; Josep Rull (spatial planning and sustainability) and Jordi Turull (Minister of the Presidency) who were in custody, as well as Lluis Puig (culture) and Toni Comín (health care), who were on the run, were to be given a ministerial position. The government in Madrid described this ministerial election as a provocation and stated that the new regional government was incapable of acting in this form and that the ministerial nominations would not be published in the Official Journal and could therefore not come into force; Torra suspended the assumption of office and announced legal action. The planned lifting of the compulsory administration of Catalonia under Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution was therefore initially on hold; only on May 29th did Torra give in and replace the four ministerial candidates persecuted by the judiciary with persons who had not been incriminated; In one of his last business deals before being voted out of office in a vote of no confidence on June 1, 2018, Rajoy confirmed the new Catalan regional government of Torra, paving the way for the abolition of the direct administration of Catalonia.

Pedro Sánchez (PSOE), Rajoy's successor following the motion of censure supported by separatists, made efforts to establish a dialogue with the new Torras regional government; Despite an initially more conciliatory tone from Madrid, the regional government remained on a tough confrontational course without any rapprochement on the matter. Torra declared in early September 2018 that the Spanish state was violent and had suffered democratic bankruptcy; the only goal could be a break with Spain and a Catalan republic; he wanted a “political solution”: a dialogue with Madrid could only have independence as an issue and he would therefore not recognize the outstanding judgments of the Spanish judiciary in the trial against former regional ministers and activists .

On February 15, 2019, Pedro Sánchez was forced to announce early parliamentary elections after the budget had not found the necessary majority in parliament a few days earlier. The defeat in the budget debate was the result of the collapse of talks with the Catalan regional government, whereupon ERC and PDeCAT voted against the budget with the PP and Cuidadanos. Talks with the separatist regional government finally failed a few days earlier due to their demand for an international "observer" ( relator ) of the negotiations; on February 12 the criminal case against separatist Catalan politicians and activists was opened. The pre-election campaign was marked by open provocations. Torras refused to remove separatist symbols from public institutions despite a court order. At the same time, the government of the Generalitat in Catalonia was marked by a complete standstill, as no budget could be submitted to the regional parliament due to a lack of consensus within the separatist government majority.

In the Spanish parliamentary elections on April 28, 2019 , the ERC won the largest relative share of the vote in Catalonia for the first time in its history, while Torra's JxCat and Puigdemont, increasingly for a tough stance in conflict, lost votes; all in all, separatist and unionist parties were again balanced in Catalonia - election winner Pedro Sánchez did not have enough votes with the PSOE to form a government; Because Sánchez did not want to rely on the separatist Catalan parties or they rejected a possible tolerance, parliamentary elections were held again on November 10, 2019 . There was no clear majority in these either - after the elections it became apparent that Sánchez was seeking a coalition with Podemos, tolerated by separatists, against the offer of an in-depth dialogue on the political structure of autonomy. Rifts between ERC and the more radical stance of JxCat came to light - ERC decided by abstaining to allow the appointment of Sánchez as the new Prime Minister, which is strictly rejected by JxCat and the activists of ANC.

Parallel to the elections and the struggle to shape the government in Madrid, judgments by the Spanish judiciary with long prison sentences against those responsible for the independence referendum were already announced in October 2019. As a result, there were further legal disputes about the immunity of the former Catalan Vice-President Junqueras and an aftermath in the dispute over the separatist symbols on public buildings: Torra was declared due to repeated violations by the regional government of a regulation of the Central Electoral Committee ( Junta Electoral Central JEC ) first sentenced by the Catalan Supreme Court to a fine and disqualification from office. Even before the judgment became final, the Spanish Central Electoral Committee decided at the beginning of January 2020 that Torras' mandate in the regional parliament had to be suspended due to disobedience and that he could therefore not continue to exercise his office as Prime Minister of Catalonia. As a result, Torra announced new elections in Catalonia without specifying an election date, after it was foreseeable that the ERC would no longer support him.

In the meantime, in Madrid, Sánchez and the ERC agreed on political talks in return for the tolerance of his government; a first formal round of talks between the Spanish government and the Generalitat, led by Torra, took place in February 2020. Puigdemont and JxCat, however, rejected the dialogue initiated by the ERC between the Generalitat and Pedro Sánchez. In a mass rally in Perpignan, France, in front of up to 150,000 supporters at the end of February 2020, Puigdemont spoke of the need for a “final battle” (lit .: “lluita definitiva”) for independence.

In September 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the ban on Torra. The Vice President Pere Aragonès took over the business of the regional government of Catalonia as interim president. New elections were held on February 13, 2021 . After the Catalan rapper Pablo Hasél had to serve a nine-month prison sentence on February 16, 2021 for glorifying violence and insulting the monarchy, there were numerous demonstrations and riots in several cities, including Madrid, over the following nights.

Reactions and consequences

Royal house

Spain's head of state, King Felipe VI. , had already stated in a televised address on October 4, 2017 in harsh words against the Catalan government that the situation in Catalonia was extremely serious and that the rule of law and proper self-government of Catalonia were in danger. He also reaffirmed his unconditional commitment to the unity of Spain, the defense of the constitution and the respect of the law against an unacceptable attempt by the pro-independence advocates to usurp the institutions and divide society.

Constitutional reform

In response to the independence efforts in Catalonia, the Spanish government has been considering opening talks on a possible constitutional reform since mid-September 2017. In the run-up to the application of Article 155, the government announced, in particular at the insistence of the PSOE, that a commission of the Spanish parliament ( Congreso de los Diputados ) would be set up to, inter alia, to debate possible reforms to finance the regions and the autonomous governments.

Large demonstrations against and for independence

In addition to countless demonstrations for independence in the run-up to the referendum, on October 8, shortly before the alleged declaration of independence, there was the first major demonstration in Barcelona for Catalonia to remain in Spain. Speakers included the Nobel Prize Winner for Literature Mario Vargas Llosa and former President of the European Parliament Josep Borrell . This demonstration was initiated by the Societat Civil Catalana . The organizers spoke of up to 950,000 participants, the Guardia Urbana (Barcelona City Police) of 350,000. The term “silent majority” ( mayoría silenciosa ) used by the SCC was used in the media . The supporters of independence, on the other hand, claimed that the majority had come from other regions of Spain. Contrary to what the organizers feared, no Francoist or right-wing extremist symbols were used; there were only minor disputes. Another major demonstration in Barcelona for unity with Spain, in which the unionist parties Partido Popular (PP), Ciutadans (Cs) and Partido Socialista de Cataluña (PSC) also took part, took place on October 29, 2017, two days after the Impeachment of the Catalan government - again between 1,100,000 (according to the organizers) and 300,000 (according to the police) participants took to the streets.

On October 21, 2017, independence advocates demonstrated with members of the regional government against the threatened application of Article 155 and for the release of Cuixart and Sànchez. According to the Guardia Urbana, 450,000 people took part in this demonstration . On November 11, 2017, another large-scale demonstration organized by the ANC and Omnium took place in Barcelona with 750,000 participants, according to the Guardia Urbana , who demonstrated for the release of the imprisoned members of the government and the activists Cuixart and Sànchez. On the national holiday of Catalonia on September 11, 2018, around one million people demonstrated again for independence from Spain.

Yellow ribbons

Yellow ribbon poster on Barcelona City Hall

Since October 2017, yellow ribbons (and the yellow color in general) have been used as a symbol of solidarity with the 17 Catalan ministers and activists who have been indicted and partially detained on charges of rebellion, riot and misappropriation of public funds Had fled abroad. They are seen as politically persecuted by independence supporters . Separatist politicians, but also some well-known personalities such as the ex-coach of FC Barcelona , Pep Guardiola , appeared with the ribbon from then on. As a result, advocates of independence put up massive amounts of yellow ribbons on public institutions, which was benevolently tolerated or promoted by some municipalities and the Catalan regional government (under Quim Torra). In the summer of 2018, this led to an escalating dispute over the legality of the publicly sanctioned use of openly separatist symbols in public spaces. At the request of Cuidadanos and PP, the Spanish Central Electoral Commission decided in the run-up to the upcoming parliamentary elections in early March 2019 that all yellow ribbons and independence flags ( Esteladas ) would have to be removed from public buildings, as they violate the neutrality required by the electoral law. However, the regional government refused to remove them and allowed the deadline set by the Commission to pass several times. On March 21, 2019, the regional government had all yellow ribbons and flags removed and replaced with other separatist symbols and posters. The electoral commission then asked the public prosecutor to initiate disobedience proceedings against those responsible and ordered the police to remove all posters and symbols. President Quim Torra described the posters as an expression of freedom of expression , announced a complaint against the decision of the electoral authority on the grounds of “arbitrariness”, but on March 22nd had all symbols removed from public institutions before the police intervened. On the same evening he put a new banner on the facade of his government palace in Barcelona demanding "freedom of expression". On May 27, the day after the European elections, the original banner calling for freedom for the “political prisoners” and “exiles” was again hung at the government palace. The legal processing of this episode culminated in Torra's conviction (ban and fine) in September 2020.

Economic consequences

A large number of business enterprises based in Catalonia have expressed concern about the possible independence (and the associated exit from the EU); the Spanish government made it possible for companies based in Catalonia to move their headquarters in an urgent procedure without holding a regular general meeting. By October 26, 2017, almost 1,700 companies had already announced that they wanted to relocate their headquarters from Catalonia; including traditional Catalan companies such as Caixabank , Banco Sabadell , Codorníu , Gas Natural ; this affects 6 of the 7 Catalan listed companies represented in the IBEX 35 benchmark index .

The two traditional Catalan big banks, Caixabank and Banco Sabadell, reported that they had lost customer accounts with a volume of 9 billion euros in the week after the referendum; this reflects on the one hand a rejection of the independence process on the part of non-Catalan customers and on the other hand concerns about the availability of deposits in the event of an economic split in Catalonia; however, the outflow of funds decreased after the company's headquarters were relocated outside of Catalonia.

A call by Catalan activists to boycott the banks with a request to Catalan customers to withdraw as large sums of cash as possible from the banks as a sign of protest was occasionally followed, but it remained insignificant overall.

The organizer of one of the largest international trade fairs in the technology sector, the annual GSMA Mobile World Congress , also stated that it is monitoring the situation in Catalonia and that it is not ruling out a move to another city from 2019; at the same time the holding for February 2018 in Barcelona was confirmed; The fair is considered the largest fair in the field of mobile telephony and annually attracts over 100,000 visitors and 2,300 exhibitors with a locally generated business volume of 450 million euros. In the selection process for the new seat of the European Medicines Agency , which was to have a new seat as a result of Brexit , Barcelona was eliminated in the first ballot in November 2017; Government circles as well as the mayor of Barcelona, ​​Ada Colau, said that the political uncertainty had ruined Barcelona's good chances.

On January 1, 2018, the Spanish Minister of Economic Affairs, Luis de Guindos , stated in an interview that the Catalonia crisis was responsible for the decline in economic growth in Catalonia from 0.4 - 0.5 percentage points from 0.9% to only 0.4% responsible in the last quarter of 2017; Seen in this light, the economic crisis in Catalonia cost around 1 billion euros.

International reactions to the declaration of independence

The international community refused to recognize the republic proclaimed by the regional government. Selection of reactions from international organizations and governments, as well as votes from separatist parties in other countries:

  • UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on everyone involved to be prudent. Solutions to the crisis would have to come within the framework of the Spanish constitution.
  • Steffen Seibert , spokesman for the German federal government , made it clear that the federal government does not recognize the Catalan declaration of independence. The federal government regards "the renewed escalation of the situation in Catalonia, triggered by the renewed breach of the constitution by the Catalan regional parliament" with concern.
  • Austria's Foreign Minister at the time, Sebastian Kurz , said: "The unilateral declaration of independence by the Catalan regional parliament was not lawful."
  • The Swiss Foreign Ministry (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) offered the parties to the conflict to mediate before Article 155 was triggered, but the Spanish government refused. Switzerland regards the question of Catalonia as an internal matter for Spain, which must be regulated within the framework of the constitutional order.
  • The French president Emmanuel Macron repeated his statement of "full support" for the Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian reiterated that France “does not recognize the declaration of independence that the Catalan Parliament has just adopted”.
  • EU Council President Donald Tusk said that Madrid would remain the sole point of contact for the European Union. He said on Twitter that he hoped the Spanish government would prefer the force of argument rather than the argument of force. Antonio Tajani , President of the European Parliament , called for more autonomy for regions like Catalonia. Nevertheless, he also spoke out clearly against the independence of Catalonia.
  • The US State Department spokeswoman pointed out that Catalonia is an integral part of Spain. The United States therefore supported the NATO partner's efforts to keep Spain united.
  • The Turkey in which of Kurds aspire inhabited areas for independence, rejected the independence of Catalonia.
  • Serbia , from which Kosovo declared itself independent in 2008 , expressed itself in the same vein . Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also accused the EU of “ double standards ” with regard to Kosovo's declaration of independence .
  • Israel , from which the Spanish government had requested an official rejection of the declaration of independence, declined to comment on this "internal European matter".
  • Even the Russian President Vladimir Putin officially declared the events in Catalonia are an internal affair of Spain and the crisis must be solved within the Spanish legal system; At the same time, the Russian media RT and Sputnik published strongly pro-independence articles that were disseminated above average in social media, including by users with a false identity and a Russian and Chavistic background.
  • The People's Republic of China , which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province of its national territory, declared that it was against the partition of Spain and that the failure of Catalonia's independence efforts shows that the protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity is of paramount national importance in both the West and the East.
  • The separatist South Tyrolean parties Die Freiheitliche and Süd-Tiroler Freiheit, on the other hand, welcomed the declaration of independence for Catalonia.

See also

Web links

Commons : Declaration of Independence of Catalonia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ley 19/2017, de 6 de septiembre, del referèndum de autodeterminación. (PDF) In: Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya. September 6, 2017, archived from the original on April 17, 2019 ; Retrieved September 11, 2017 (Spanish).
  2. ↑ a b Generalitat de Catalunya: El "sí" s'imposa amb un 90% dels vots dels 2,262,424 catalans que han pogut votar , October 2, 2017, accessed on October 2, 2017 (Catalan)
  3. ↑ Generalitat de Catalunya: El Govern trasllada els resultats definitius del referèndum de l'1 d'octubre al Parlament de Catalunya ( Memento of October 6, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) , October 6, 2017, accessed on October 19, 2017 (Catalan)
  4. ↑ The Economist: An unconstitutional vote on independence turns nasty , October 2, 2017, accessed October 23.
  5. ↑ Die Zeit: Puigdemont postpones declaration of independence , October 10, 2017, accessed on October 19, 2017
  6. ↑ Complete text of the declaration , in La Razon, October 10, 2017, accessed on October 19, 2017 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ Hans-Christian Rößler: Carles Puigdemont: Traitors or Martyrs. In: FAZ , October 26, 2017, accessed on October 29, 2017.
  8. ↑ El Confidencial: Esta es la carta de Puigdemont a Rajoy en la que se amenaza con la DUI with the wording of the reply to the ultimatum of the Spanish government, October 19, 2017 (Spanish)
  9. ^ A b Matthias Jauch: Rajoy dissolves the Catalan parliament and calls for new elections. including commentary on Article 155. Der Tagesspiegel , October 27, 2017, accessed on October 31, 2017 .
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  16. ↑ La Vanguardia: El Senado da luz verde al artículo 155 que permitirá cesar a Puigdemont, al Govern e intervenir la autonomía , October 27, 2017
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  24. ↑ Judge orders pre-trial detention against leading separatists. Spiegel Online from November 2, 2017.
  25. ↑ Público : La jueza Lamela pone en libertad al exconseller Santi Vila tras pagar la fianza , November 3, 2017
  26. ↑ Arrest warrant issued against Puigdemont. Frankfurter Allgemeine from November 3, 2017
  27. ↑ Puigdemont against conditions at large. In: Deutschlandfunk . November 6, 2017. Retrieved November 6, 2017 .
  28. ↑ La Vanguardia: La Fiscalía pide prisión incondicional para Forcadell y otros tres miembros de la Mesa , November 9, 2017, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  29. ↑ La Vanguardia: Junqueras asume el 155 y define la DUI como meramente “política” , November 21, 2017, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  30. ↑ Court withdraws international arrest warrant. In: Tagesschau from December 5, 2017 (accessed December 5, 2017).
  31. ↑ La Vanguardia: El Tribunal Supremo procesa por rebelión a 13 líderes soberanistas en la causa del procés , 23 March 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  32. ↑ a b La Vanguardia: El juez envía a prisión sin fianza a Turull, Rull, Romeva, Bassa y Forcadell , 23 March 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  33. ↑ Carles Puigdemont arrested in Germany. Spiegel Online, March 25, 2018, accessed on the same day.
  34. ↑ Schleswig-Holstein Higher Regional Court issues extradition arrest warrant against Carles Puigdemont for embezzlement and suspends the execution of the extradition arrest warrant. Schleswig-Holstein Higher Regional Court , April 5, 2018, accessed on April 5, 2018 .
  35. ↑ Case of Carles Puigdemont: extradition on charges of embezzlement of public funds is permissible, extradition on charges of rebellion is inadmissible. Carles Puigdemont remains at large. Schleswig-Holstein Higher Regional Court , July 12, 2018, accessed on July 13, 2018 .
  36. ↑ Reyes Rincon: Llarena rechaza la entrega de Puigdemont por malversación y retira la euroorden contra todos los huidos. El País , July 19, 2018, accessed July 19, 2018 .
  37. ↑ Spain withdraws the international arrest warrant against Puigdemont. Spiegel online from July 19, 2018
  38. ↑ El Pais: [Puigdemont y la independencia de Cataluña: últimas noticias en directo - ERC condiciona la lista única por la que apuesta Puigdemont a que la integre todo el soberanismo mientras la CUP baraja todas las opciones] , November 4, 2017, accessed on same day (spanish)
  39. ↑ La Vanguardia: La CUP decide presentarse a las elecciones “ilegítimas” del 21D con una “candidatura rupturista de izquierdas” , November 12, 2017, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  40. ↑ El Pais: El PDeCat renuncia a la unilateralidad para intentar ampliar su base electoral , November 23, accessed on November 24, 2017 (Spanish)
  41. ↑ El Pais: Albano Dante Fachin dimite como líder de Podem , November 6th, accessed the same day (Spanish)
  42. ↑ El Pais, Colau descarta participar con los secesionistas y nombra cabeza de lista a Domènech - Catalunya en Comú intenta atraer al catalanismo moderado , 6 November, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  43. ↑ Barbara Galaktionow: Proponents of independence defend the absolute majority. Süddeutsche Zeitung of December 22, 2017
  44. ^ Government withdraws police officers from Catalonia. Zeit Online from December 26, 2017.
  45. ↑ Puigdemont calls on Madrid to negotiate. Deutschlandradio from December 31, 2017.
  46. ↑ La Vanguardia: Rajoy avisa de que el 155 seguirá en vigor si Puigdemont lleva a cabo la investidura a distancia , January 15, 2017, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  47. ↑ La Vanguardia: Los letrados del Parlament rechazan la investidura a distancia de Puigdemont , January 15, 2017, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  48. ↑ Reiner Wandler: Catalan Parliament begins its work. Der Standard , January 17, 2017, accessed the following day.
  49. ↑ Puigdemont nominated again as regional president. Spiegel Online from January 22, 2018.
  50. ↑ Puigdemont wants to "soon" form a new government. Zeit Online from January 22, 2018.
  51. ↑ Spain's government is suing against Puigdemont's nomination. Spiegel Online from January 26, 2018.
  52. ↑ Puigdemont must be present at the election. Handelsblatt dated January 27, 2018 with an update from the following day
  53. ↑ La Vanguardia: Catalunya, en un vacío legal tras la resolución del TC y el aplazamiento de la investidura , January 30, 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  54. ↑ La Vanguardia: Puigdemont renuncia a presidir la Generalitat y señala la candidatura de Jordi Sànchez , March 1, 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  55. ↑ La Vanguardia: El Parlament rechaza la investidura de Jordi Turull tras la abstención de la CUP , March 22, 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  56. ↑ Constitutional Court stops Puigdemont's election. Time online from May 9, 2018
  57. ↑ Claus Hecking and Steffen Lüdke: President by the grace of Puigdemont. Spiegel online from May 11, 2018
  58. ↑ Hans-Christian Rössler: Torra lacks the necessary majority in the regional parliament , Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of May 12, 2018
  59. ↑ El Pais: Quim Torra reitera que su prioridad es construir la “república catalana” y el proceso constituyente , May 14, 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  60. ↑ Separatist Torra sworn in as head of government. Handelsblatt dated May 17, 2018
  61. ↑ La Vanguardia: El Gobierno bloquea el nombramiento de los consellers del nuevo Govern , May 20, 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  62. ↑ La Vanguardia: Torra quiere plantear un desafío al Estado: o referéndum o ruptura , August 30, 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  63. ↑ El Pais: Pedro Sánchez convoca elecciones generales el 28 de abril , February 15, 2019, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  64. ↑ El Pais: El Gobierno acepta la propuesta de la Generalitat para que un “relator” certifique el diálogo entre los partidos , February 6, 2019 (Spanish)
  65. ↑ El Pais: Los independentistas rechazan el Presupuesto y precipitan el fin de la legislatura , February 13, 2019 (Spanish)
  66. ↑ a b La Vanguardia: ¿A dónde lleva el simbolismo de los lazos? , March 22, 2019, accessed the same day (Spanish)
  67. ↑ La vanguardia: La “inoperancia” del Govern de Torra, a debate en el Parlament , April 1, 2018 (Spanish)
  68. ↑ ERC 24.6% and JxCat 12.1% against PSC 23.2%, PP 4.9%, Cs 11.6% and Vox 3.6% (and Podemos with a neutral attitude 14.9%)
  69. ↑ La vanguardia: Sánchez ofrece un nuevo inicio a Catalunya y ERC acepta el reto , January 5, 2020 (Spanish)
  70. ↑ El Pais: La Junta Electoral acuerda destituir a Quim Torra tras su condena por desobediencia , January 3, 2020 (Spanish)
  71. ↑ La Vanguardia: Puigdemont obvia el diálogo en un baño de masas en Perpiñán , February 29, 2020, accessed on March 2, 2020 (Spanish)
  72. ↑ ORF at / agencies red: Puigdemont gathers tens of thousands of followers. February 29, 2020, accessed May 3, 2020 .
  73. ^ Augsburger Allgemeine: Spain's judiciary deposed Catalonia's head of government. Retrieved February 22, 2021 .
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  75. ↑ La Vanguardia: El Rey acusa a la Generalitat de una “deslealtad inadmisible” y de “dividir la sociedad catalana” , October 4, 2017, accessed on October 19, 2017 (Spanish)
  76. ↑ La Vanguardia: Mensaje íntegro del rey Felipe sobre la situación en Cataluny , full text of the king's televised address , October 4, 2017, accessed on October 19, 2017 (Spanish)
  77. ↑ Cadena SER: Sánchez anuncia un acuerdo con Rajoy para abordar la reforma de la Constitución , October 11, 2017, accessed on November 11, 2017 (Spanish)
  78. ↑ El Periodico: El Gobierno abrirá el debate de la financiación junto al territorial , October 14, 2017, accessed on November 11, 2017 (Spanish)
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  80. ↑ La Vanguardia: SCC cifra en 950,000 personas la asistencia a la manifestación, 350,000 según la Guardia Urbana , October 8, 2017, accessed on October 19, 2017 (Spanish)
  81. ↑ a b Die Welt: The "silent majority" is loud in Catalonia , October 8, 2017, accessed on October 19, 2017
  82. ↑ La Vanguardia: Una gran multitud defiende la unidad de España en Barcelona , October 29, 2017, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  83. ↑ Cataluña - Artículo 155 - Miles de personas, con Puigdemont y su Govern al frente, protestan en Barcelona contra el 155. In: rtve.es. October 21, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017 (Spanish).
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  88. ↑ El Pais: La Junta lleva a Torra a la Fiscalía y ordena a los Mossos retirar los símbolos , March 22, 2019, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  89. ↑ La Vanguardia: Las empresas que se llevan su sede de Catalunya se acercan a las 1.700 , October 27, 2017, accessed on October 27, 2017 (Spanish)
  90. ↑ El Confidencial: CaixaBank y Sabadell pierden 9,000 millones en depósitos por el desafío independentista , October 18, 2017, accessed on October 22, 2017 (Spanish)
  91. ↑ El Confidencial: Cataluña: "Vengo a sacar dinero porque es ahora cuando hay que hacerlo" , October 20, 2017, accessed on October 22, 2017 (Spanish)
  92. ↑ The Times: Mobile World Congress could move from unstable Barcelona , November 13, 2017, accessed on the same day (English, paywall)
  93. ↑ El Pais: Barcelona queda fuera de la lucha por la EMA en la primera votación , November 20, 2017, accessed on the same day
  94. ↑ La Vanguardia: Guindos cifra en 1,000 millones el coste de la crisis catalana , January 1, 2018, accessed on the same day (Spanish)
  95. ↑ Steffen Seibert : #Katalonia: The federal government does not recognize the unilateral declaration of independence of the regional parliament. In: Twitter . October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017 .
  96. ↑ International reactions to the declaration of independence: Germany and the USA also support Madrid in the Catalonia crisis. In: kurier.at . October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017 .
  97. ↑ Separatist leader asks Switzerland for mediator help - Spain sets deadline for Catalonia (Aargauer Zeitung, October 16, 2017)
  98. ↑ Bern explains the Jurassic question to Madrid , NZZ, April 23, 2018
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  100. ↑ "I hope the Spanish government favors force of argument, not argument of force." Short message on Twitter of October 27, 2017 , The Guardian view on Spain's crisis: damage to Catalonia (Editorial of the British Guardian of October 27, 2017)
  101. ↑ Catalonia: "The sovereignty of Spain is inviolable". In: Zeit Online. October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017 .
  102. ↑ Turkey does not recognize Catalonia's proclamation of independence (TRT, October 28, 2017)
  103. ↑ Serbia accuses the EU of double standards (Handelsblatt, November 2, 2017)
  104. ↑ Israel Won't Recognize an Independent Catalonia - for Now (Haaretz, October 31, 2017)
  105. ↑ El Pais: La maquinaria rusa ganó la batalla 'online' del referéndum ilegal , November 13, 2014, accessed on November 20, 2017 (Spanish)
  106. ↑ “The failure of the Catalonia referendum fully shows that protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity is a paramount national interest for east or west,” from China says Catalonia situation shows Taiwan independence effort doomed to fail (Reuters report, November 15, 2017)
  107. ↑ Catalonia: First reactions also from South Tyrol on www.stol.it October 27, 2017, accessed on October 28, 2017 ( Memento from October 28, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
  108. ↑ Catalonia declares itself free: The first reactions in this country , on www.unsertirol24.com October 28, 2017