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| Catalonia to vote on whether to seek right to hold independence referendum | Catalonia to vote on whether to seek right to hold independence referendum |
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| Catalan lawmakers are to vote on Thursday on whether to seek the right to hold a referendum on independence from Spain. | Catalan lawmakers are to vote on Thursday on whether to seek the right to hold a referendum on independence from Spain. |
| The vote is a milestone in years of mass protests by Catalans, who are fiercely proud of their distinct culture and language. As lawmakers entered the Catalan parliament in Barcelona for a debate before the vote, dozens of Catalans waved independence flags and a smaller group unfurled Spanish flags, yelling: "Catalonia is Spain." | The vote is a milestone in years of mass protests by Catalans, who are fiercely proud of their distinct culture and language. As lawmakers entered the Catalan parliament in Barcelona for a debate before the vote, dozens of Catalans waved independence flags and a smaller group unfurled Spanish flags, yelling: "Catalonia is Spain." |
| But the vote is also largely a symbolic one. Catalonia can ask Spain for permission to hold an independence vote all it wants; Madrid still has the power to say no, and it almost certainly will. | But the vote is also largely a symbolic one. Catalonia can ask Spain for permission to hold an independence vote all it wants; Madrid still has the power to say no, and it almost certainly will. |
| The prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has repeatedly said he will not allow Catalonia a secession referendum because Spain's 1978 constitution does not envision anything but a unified Spanish state, and stipulates that referendums affecting Spain must be held nationally and not regionally. He has an absolute majority in parliament, which assures he will prevail, and the main opposition Socialist party also opposes a referendum. | |
| Still, the vote, which those in favour of secession are expected to win easily, could fan the flames of an already impassioned independence movement, especially if it garners the two-thirds majority that supporters are hoping for. A strong separatist message may also inspire independence movements elsewhere in the European Union at a time when European unity has been rocked by economic crisis. Belgium's Flemish speakers are gearing up to push for greater autonomy in May elections, while Scotland is preparing to hold its own referendum on breaking away from Britain in September. | |
| Even if Madrid refuses to allow an independence vote, Catalan politicians might decide to try to hold a referendum anyway. That would put them in perilous legal terrain: when the northern Basque region, where separatist sentiment is also strong, failed to obtain permission for a similar referendum in 2005, Spain said Basque leaders could face jail if they went ahead with a vote. | |
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