Spain Struggles With Catalonia’s Push for Independence

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Opinion polls show that most Catalans want a referendum, but they also want it to be fully legal and with the authorization of the Spanish state. And most support an option that is not on the table: remaining in Spain but with additional autonomy.

Independence movements in Catalonia continue to frustrate Spanish leaders in Madrid. On June 9, the government of Spain's autonomous region of Catalonia announced plans to hold an independence referendum on Oct. 1. The Spanish government said it would not take any concrete action in response to what so far is only a verbal statement, but Madrid also insisted that it would not let the vote take place. How Did We Get Here? The Catalan government has been pushing for a referendum on independence for the past five years . In 2013 the Parliament of Catalonia adopted a declaration stating that the people of the region have "the character of a sovereign political and legal entity." The following year, Catalonia held an unofficial referendum in which about 80 percent of voters supported independence. However, turnout was relatively low at about 40 percent of the electorate.