BARCELONA,
Spain — In a major escalation of Spain’s territorial conflict, the
Spanish Senate on Friday authorized the government to take direct
control of the fractious region of Catalonia, just after Catalan
lawmakers declared the region’s independence.
The
dueling actions set up a potential showdown over the weekend, as Spain
careened into its greatest constitutional crisis since it embraced
democracy in 1978.
The Senate voted 214 to 47 to invoke Article 155 of Spain’s Constitution,
granting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy a package of extraordinary powers
to suppress Catalonia’s independence drive. The measure will go into
effect after it is published in the government register, which is
expected to happen Friday night.
In
a speech on Friday before the vote, Mr. Rajoy had said he had “no
alternative” because the Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, and his
separatist cabinet had pursued an illegal and unilateral path that was
“contrary to the normal behavior in any democratic country like ours.”
Undeterred
by the government’s threat, and after a bitter debate, separatists in
the Catalan Parliament passed a resolution to “create a Catalan republic
as an independent state.” Lawmakers opposed to independence walked out
of the chamber in protest before the vote.
Continue reading the main story
Mr.
Puigdemont came close on Thursday to calling early regional elections,
but dropped the idea and instead told Catalonia’s Parliament that it
would make a decision on independence the next day. He leads a fragile
separatist coalition that has 72 of the body’s 135 seats
During
the debate that preceded the vote, Catalan lawmakers traded accusations
and in turn described the occasion as “historic” and “happy,” or else
“tragic” and a serious violation of Spain’s Constitution.
Addressing
the Catalan Parliament in Spanish, Carlos Carrizo, a lawmaker from
Ciudadanos, a party that opposes secession, told Mr. Puigdemont and
separatist lawmakers that, far from creating a new Catalan republic,
“you will go down in history for having fractured Catalonia and for
sinking the institutions of Catalonia.”
In
front of the assembly, he tore apart a copy of the independence
resolution. “Your job is not to promise unrealizable dreams but to
improve the daily lives of people,” he said.
Before
the independence vote, Marta Rovira, a separatist lawmaker, told the
assembly that “today we start on a new path” to build “a better
country.” She added: “We are creating a country free of repression.”
Catalan lawmakers who voted for independence could face prosecution for sedition, or even rebellion.
Marta
Ribas, a Catalan lawmaker, said that Madrid’s use of Article 155 was
unjustified, but also argued that “it’s a mistake to respond to one
outrageous act with another outrageous act.” She added: “A declaration
of independence won’t protect us from the 155, quite the contrary.”
In
the streets outside Parliament in Barcelona, not far from a boisterous
pro-independence rally, a few Catalans quietly expressed similar
frustrations.
The
Oct. 1 referendum did not give the Catalan government the legitimacy to
vote to secede, said Federico Escolar, 53, a cafe owner.
“Most
of the people who would have voted no did not participate,” Mr. Escolar
said while smoking a cigarette outside his cafe. “It was not a proper
referendum. It was illegal.”
Catalonia
Catch up here on the referendum and its fallout.
Walking into a nearby subway station, Christina Juana, a 38-year-old social worker, agreed.
“Neither Puigdemont nor the Catalan government knows exactly what the Catalan people’s opinion is,” Ms. Juana said.
Mr.
Puigdemont’s government has been flouting Spain’s Constitution since
early September, when separatist lawmakers voted to hold a binding
referendum on independence on Oct. 1 as a key step toward statehood.
Catalans who went to the polls voted overwhelmingly to approve independence, but the referendum took place without legal guarantees and with most opponents of independence staying away.
The referendum was marred by clashes between the Spanish national police and Catalan citizens that left hundreds injured, including police officers.
Before
the Catalan Parliament’s vote for independence on Friday, large crowds
had gathered outside in anticipation of what they hoped would be a
historic day for Catalonia.
Many
were draped in flags as they watched the parliamentary debate on two
large screens, cheering during speeches by pro-independence lawmakers
and hissing those of their opponents. When proceedings hit a lull, the
crowds cycled through a series of pro-independence chants.
“Spanish
occupiers!” was one, a reference to the national police officers who
tried to stop the Oct. 1 referendum by force. “Leave Catalonia!”
“I
feel very, very happy,” said Emili Ara, a 79-year-old retired realtor,
who said he had hoped for Catalan independence for most of his life,
even in the days when the concept had little widespread appeal.
“The
people living here, both those who voted yes and those who voted no,
will be able to see their sons and grandsons enjoy a much better
future,” he added.
The
optimism of Mr. Ara and his family was not dented by the prospect of
the Spanish government’s moving to take over administration of the
region.
“We
have to declare independence even if we end up with less autonomy than
we have now,” said Eulalia Ara, Mr. Ara’s 39-year-old daughter. “We
can’t continue in this situation because we are being repressed by the
Spanish state.”
And
even “if they steal our Parliament and our government,” said Jordi Ara,
Mr. Ara’s 18-year-old grandson, “we will still have our beliefs!”
Elsewhere
in the crowd, separatist protesters saw little problem with declaring
independence even though less than 43 percent of voters participated in
the referendum.
“Two
months ago, I would have said that 43 percent was not enough,” said
Ester Romero, 25, a sales manager who had come to the rally after
picking up her degree certificate.
“But after all the oppression, after all the police hitting people during the referendum, it’s enough.”
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