Spain's Catalonia region calls for independence vote


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.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The call for a vote comes in the wake of Scotland's independence referendum earlier this month. Voters chose to remain part of the United Kingdom, but Mas says the exercise was "a great lesson in democracy."
Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, swiftly panned the referendum in a statement made by his deputy prime minister, saying any vote held would be "unconstitutional."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodle
Cartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorship
Talking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants