Catalonia Parliament Declares Independence
Spain is one of the very countries in the world that grant ‘high level of autonomy’ to its districts. There are 18 districts in Spain. Catalonia is the richest, and one of the most distinctive regions located in the northeastern Spain. The district is known for enjoying ‘one of the highest levels of autonomy’.
Catalonia has its own regional parliament, its own public media, and special police force. The regional parliament in Catalonia voted for an independent rule with 70-10 vote margin. It calls for measures for the complete transfer of legal powers from Spain to an independent Catalonia. The regional parliament termed the liberated state as ‘Republic of Catalonia’. The state-run media also claimed that out of 43% of the population who took part in the voting, about 90% of them have voted in favour of independence.
Within minutes of Catalonia declaring its independence, the Spanish Senate in Madrid has granted Mariano Rajoy unprecedented powers to dissolve the regional parliament of Catalonia. Rajoy stated that ‘direct rule needs to be imposed in Catalonia to establish and maintain law-democracy- stability”.
Though Catalonia is one of the wealthiest districts in Spain, the Madrid Senate can still impose some powerful economic levers. The Spanish Senate is also looking to gradually reduce the level of autonomy enjoyed by of Catalonia.
