Spain's Catalonia region calls for independence vote

Spain&#039;s Catalonia region calls for independence vote

(Image credit: David Ramos/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Catalonia leader Artur Mas signed a decree calling for an independence vote on Saturday, directly defying Spain's central government in Madrid.

"Catalonia wants to decide pacifically and democratically its political future," Mas said. "Nobody should fear that somebody expresses his opinion by placing a vote in a ballot box."

Catalonia includes Barcelona, and it is one of Spain's most prosperous regions, accounting for one-fifth of the country's economy. While the region has always been independence-minded, Spain's fiscal woes have spurred increased support for Catalonia's secessionist movement. Supporters of the independence vote say Madrid disproportionately uses Catalan taxes in order to support the country's poorer regions. Catalonian lawmakers reflected those frustrations in a 106-28 vote in favor of authorizing the referendum.

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Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

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