Referendum on secession of Catalonia. Referendum in Catalonia: what it means and how the region used to live. Why independence is trending again

The area of ​​modern Catalonia is comparable to the Dnepropetrovsk or Chernigov region of Ukraine. Nationalist sentiments have been “fermenting” in the region for years. Supporters of secession are not satisfied with the autonomy status and today, October 1, a referendum is being held in Catalonia, which Madrid does not recognize. Realist talks about the events that took place on the eve of the vote and the historical past of Catalonia.

Republic of Catalonia?

Despite the fact that the Spanish authorities sealed polling stations and prohibited the launch of electronic voting, a referendum started in Catalonia on the morning of October 1. The Spanish press calls it "1 de Octubre" and follows events closely. There were frequent protests in the region demanding separation from Spain. Madrid is mainly criticized for the fact that the authorities suppress the economic, social and cultural rights of Catalans.

Residents of the region and representatives of the autonomous parliament believe that they have fairly good opportunities for development without control from the capital of Spain. Many local politicians are banking on Catalonia being economically successful. For example, in 2016, Catalonia's share of Spain's GDP reached 19.03%. The region has been a significant contributor to the country for many years. Also, Barcelona and the autonomy remain a major tourist region with vibrant cultural traditions. At the same time, Catalans complain that they are trying to “Spanishize” them - in schools in Catalonia there is a law on teaching in Spanish. In the region itself, Catalan and Occitan are also spoken.

Chronology of the “breakup”

1479- unification of Spain as a result of the dynastic alliance of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile

1714- the end of the siege of Barcelona - the last battle of the War of the Spanish Succession, which resulted in the loss of autonomy for the Catalans. By the way, every year on September 11, the National Day of Catalonia is celebrated in memory of this event.

1932- creation of a Catalan government called the Generalitat

1930s- arrests of supporters of secession and suppression of protests by nationalist forces

1979— Catalonia receives autonomous status

2006- Catalonia’s financial independence is officially expanding within the framework of autonomy

2010— The Constitutional Court of Spain recognizes the concept of the “Catalan nation”, the priority of the Catalan language, and the expanded financial and judicial powers of the region as illegal

January 16, 2014- the majority of deputies in the Catalan parliament voted in favor of holding a referendum on independence

November 9, 2014- a survey among Catalans - more than 80% of those who came would vote for independence (with a turnout of 2.25 million people, the population of the region is 7.5 million people, of which 5.5 million people are voters)

November 9, 2015— a parliamentary resolution (with the support of members of the Junts pel Sí (Together for Yes) coalition and the Candidacy of Popular Unity (CUP) party) launched the process of secession from Spain and the creation of an independent Catalan Republic

October 1, 2017- holding a referendum on the independence of Spanish Catalonia. The question put to a vote is: “Do you want Catalonia to be an independent state in the form of a republic?”

The Catalans are closer than ever to creating an independent state. However, separation from Spain will create a lot of problems for the region - both political and economic.

On Sunday, October 1, 2017, the regional authorities of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia will hold a referendum on separation from Spain. The plebiscite is not recognized by the central authorities in Madrid. TASS explains why Catalonia wants to secede, how the preparations for the referendum were carried out and what its consequences will be.

Catalonia is one of the most prosperous regions of Spain

The GDP of this Spanish autonomous region is greater than that of the whole of Portugal. Catalonia has a developed economy and has one of the highest socio-economic development indices in Spain. Supporters of secession traditionally believe that Catalonia “feeds Spain,” in particular its most backward regions - Andalusia, Valencia, Murcia.

The Spanish financial and economic crisis of 2007-2015 strained relations between Catalonia and the central government in Madrid. Employees of the Barcelona Department of Economics have calculated that Catalonia, as a subject of the kingdom, is subject to budgetary discrimination: in 2010, the Catalans contributed taxes to the Spanish budget in the amount of 118.5% of the national level, but at the same time received subsidies in the amount of 98.9% from the national average.

After this revelation, the number of supporters of Catalonia’s secession from Spain for the first time in the history of autonomy exceeded the level of 50% of the entire electorate. According to a September public opinion poll conducted by the sociological service SocioMétrica for the online publication El Español, 50.1% of Catalans are now in favor of independence, while 45.7% are against it.

The Catalan problem has deep historical roots

Historical Catalonia (modern autonomous region in Spain and the department of Eastern Pyrenees in France) was under the rule of the French kings until 987; in the Middle Ages it was part of the Kingdom of Aragon. Since 1359, it had its own parliament and governing bodies, but gradually lost these privileges. In 1700, Catalonia lost its northern lands (they went to France), and in 1714, at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, it became part of Spain as a province.

In this conflict, Catalonia supported the candidacy of Charles of Austria, but his competitor, King Philip V of the Bourbon dynasty, came to power. He abolished the old laws of Catalonia, banned the use of the Catalan language in administration, universities, and the church, and installed Castilians as administrators. The anniversary of the fall of Barcelona in that war, September 11, 1714, is still celebrated today as the National Day of Catalonia.

In 1871, the Catalans attempted to secede from the kingdom, but after negotiations they remained part of it. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Catalonia experienced persecution of the Catalan language, culture and political institutions (especially during the dictatorships of Primo de Rivera and Franco). The last person to proclaim an independent Catalan state (the Catalan state within the Spanish Republic) on October 6, 1934, President Luis Companys, was shot by the Francoists.

However, the struggle for independence continued. In 1979, the Catalans achieved autonomy and the official status of the Catalan language, which was enshrined in the Statutes of Catalonia. In 2006, the region's parliament adopted a new Charter that expanded the rights of the Catalans and recognized them as a separate nation. The document was approved by the Catalan and Spanish parliaments, and then by a referendum in Catalonia. However, the operation of the Charter was frozen due to a claim in the Constitutional Court (CC), which was filed by the People's Party of Catalonia (PPC, a branch of the ruling party of Spain, Partido Popular). In 2010, the court ruled that the only state-forming nation recognized by the constitution is Spain.

Previous attempts to hold a referendum ended in nothing

In 2009-2010, a series of informal consultative referendums were held in the region, during which 90% of participants were in favor of independence. On 23 January 2013, the Catalan Parliament adopted a declaration declaring the region "a sovereign political and legal entity of Spain" and calling for a referendum on its future status.

However, in March 2014, the Constitutional Court declared the decision of the Catalan parliament to be contrary to the constitution. According to the court's decision, "the autonomous region does not have the right to unilaterally convene a referendum to decide the issue of belonging to Spain." The only way to achieve sovereignty is to amend the constitution, which must receive the approval of the majority of Spanish citizens.

On September 27, 2015, parliamentary elections were held in Catalonia, which were won by the coalition “Together for” (JxSí), advocating secession. On October 27, 2015, this coalition and the Candidates for Popular Unity (CUP) party, which have a majority in parliament , agreed on a draft resolution declaring “the beginning of the process of creating an independent state of Catalonia in the form of a republic.” On October 6, 2016, the Catalan Parliament managed to approve a resolution to hold a referendum on secession from Spain before September of this year.

The Spanish government immediately appealed to the Constitutional Court, which subsequently revoked the document. Despite this, the Catalan authorities continued to insist on their position and claim that the decision of the Constitutional Court would not interfere with holding a plebiscite.

The current referendum is illegal from Madrid's point of view

Spain is a unitary state whose constitution does not provide for self-determination of regions. The argument of independence supporters is that international law (in particular, the right of nations to self-determination) has primacy over national law, according to the norms that Spain itself accepts. One of Madrid's arguments why the referendum cannot take place refers to the law, which states that the bearer of sovereignty is the Spanish people. In other words, one part of the kingdom's population, that is, the Catalans, cannot decide the fate of the entire country.

Madrid has a range of legal tools at its disposal to prevent the plebiscite from taking place. In particular, in the Spanish Constitution there is Article 155, which states that “if an autonomous community does not fulfill the obligations imposed by the constitution and other laws, or its actions pose a serious threat to the general interests of Spain,” then the government, having received approval by an absolute majority in the Senate "may take the necessary measures to compel" the region to fulfill its obligations. Simply put, Article 155 suspends autonomy and transfers all regional administration bodies to central subordination. In the 39 years of the Spanish constitution, this measure has never been applied.

Not afraid of Madrid's actions, on September 6, the Catalan parliament approved the “Law on a referendum on the self-determination of Catalonia”: 72 parliamentarians voted for, 60 against, three abstained. On the same day, it was signed by the Chairman of the Generalitat (Government) of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont. The document was actually imposed by supporters of independence from JxSí and their allies from the CUP - thanks to them, amendments were made to the rules of parliament, allowing the law to be passed in one reading without debate, bypassing the previous procedure. This amendment to the regulations has already been suspended by the Constitutional Court.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy criticized the actions of the separatists and said that there would be no referendum on the independence of Catalonia. “This is an act of dishonest disobedience to our democratic institutions, which the government must protect,” the prime minister said. “We are all obliged to comply with the decisions of the Constitutional Court.”

The prime minister was supported by King Felipe VI, who spoke for the first time on the topic of the Catalan crisis in mid-September. “The Constitution will triumph over those who try to disrupt the peaceful coexistence of citizens,” the monarch said.

The preparation procedure for the referendum was not transparent

It is not known how the electoral lists were compiled - they are under the jurisdiction of Madrid, and the Catalan authorities do not have access to them. Independence supporters announced the end of registration to vote on March 30, but kept secret how they obtained the voter lists. This may be considered a violation of the law.

It remains a mystery at whose expense the referendum is being financed. For voting, the Catalan authorities purchased more than 6 thousand ballot boxes, but kept silent about what funds were used and by whom the purchase was made. To ensure that not a single euro went to illegally finance the referendum, the Spanish government took over the main payments that were previously in the hands of the Catalan government - we are talking about health care, education, social services and so on. Madrid is also threatening to cut off Catalonia's access to the Autonomous Communities Liquidity Fund (ALF), leaving the regional authorities without money to pay public sector employees.

Due to the fact that Madrid outlawed the referendum, preparations for it turned into a game of cat and mouse for the Catalan authorities with Spanish law enforcement officers. According to instructions from the Spanish Attorney General's Office, police must confiscate ballot boxes, ballot papers, campaign materials and instructions for polling station members. Therefore, all this was carried out and kept secret from law enforcement officers, who regularly combed printing houses and enterprises suspected of collaborating with the separatists. On September 20, the Civil Guard seized during searches 45 thousand personal notices that were intended to be sent to members of local electoral commissions in the municipalities of Catalonia. On the same day, 10 million referendum ballots were seized.

The Catalan authorities are also facing a number of claims related directly to the referendum procedure:

• According to the Venice Commission (Europe's advisory body on constitutional law), the organization of the plebiscite must be carried out by an independent and impartial body. Meanwhile, the Catalan electoral commission includes five people, each of whom is directly linked to supporters of secession.
• Of the 948 municipalities in Catalonia, 700 agreed to hold a vote, the rest refused. The separatists do not have the full support of the municipal authorities of three of the four provincial capitals of Catalonia: Barcelona, ​​Leida and Tarragona (the latter two completely refused to provide voting premises). If voting takes place in these cities, it will be in premises owned by the regional authorities, and not by the municipalities.
• Each voting precinct must have a director and two deputies. This means that 24 thousand people need to be involved in holding a referendum. However, Madrid warned that civilian personnel would face penalties, including criminal penalties, for organizing the illegal event.
• There are concerns about voting security. Catalonia's own police - the Mossos d'Esquadra - will not take part in organizing the referendum and will not enforce the laws on the secession of Catalonia if the majority votes to leave.
• The law on holding a plebiscite implies the presence of international observers. So far, the name of only one of them is known - Daan Everts, a consultant on international affairs, a retired diplomat with experience in observing elections, including in the United States. He will lead a group of observers from the States, France, Great Britain and Poland. But their names are still hidden from the public.

The consequences of the referendum will be unpredictable

It is difficult to predict how the Spanish authorities will behave on October 1, but on the eve of the referendum, Madrid has already begun to “tighten the screws.” On September 20, the Spanish Ministry of Internal Affairs placed Catalan police officers on a special duty regime, and the Spanish Civil Guard, after searches in the offices of several departments of the regional government, detained 12 people, including the heads of the economic and tax departments of Catalonia and employees of the Ministry of Telecommunications, as well as Labor and Social Affairs. In response, a wave of rallies in support of independence took place in the autonomy and throughout the country. According to the newspaper El País, the actions of the Catalan authorities and supporters of independence can be qualified as “rebellion” and “conspiracy,” which, according to the Spanish Criminal Code, is punishable by up to 30 years in prison if violent methods are used.

If Catalonia does vote to leave Spain, it will face serious political and economic challenges. According to the Madrid publication ABC, the region's public debt could rise to €265 billion, which is 124% of GDP (with a significant portion of the debt in the hands of Spain). Secession from Spain will mean for Catalonia an exit from the European Union, and, accordingly, from the euro zone. On the other hand, the budget of the Spanish state, which will likely need support from the European Union, will be dealt a blow.

There is no guarantee that Catalonia will subsequently become a member of the EU. According to EU law, entry into the community must be approved unanimously by all members. Spain has already said it would veto. Other states may do the same because they themselves have territorial units with secessionist claims. Another factor is gaining recognition from foreign states and international organizations like the UN. Catalonia will not be able to achieve this.

Another popular argument against secession is that FC Barcelona will stop playing in the Spanish football league. This was confirmed by league president Javier Tebas: “The future of Barcelona if Catalonia secedes gives me concern. I was surprised by statements that Barcelona would be allowed to choose which league to play in. It should be made clear that this is not the case ". According to him, “there is no a la carte option in sports” - in the event of secession, Catalan clubs will not be able to play in the Spanish league. Tebas also added that the match between Barcelona and La Palma, scheduled for October 1, will take place at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium as scheduled. In the world of football it will be an ordinary Sunday.

A piece of paper with the words “Si” and “No” (yes or no) became the reason for the most serious internal political crisis in Spain in the last three decades. On the morning of Sunday, October 1, lines of people lined up all over Catalonia wanting to vote in a referendum on the separation of Catalonia from Spain and the creation of a new state with a republican form of government. A referendum that is contrary to the country's constitution and therefore illegal. However, the regional government of Catalonia has chosen the path of confrontation with the central authorities of Spain.

Pilar Prieto, a linguist from Barcelona, ​​walked with her husband to the polling station opposite her home in the Olympic Village neighborhood at 5 a.m., four hours before voting began, and hundreds of other activists waited in the rain for the station to open. “To protect the station from the police,” she says. Both Pilar herself and her husband are optimistic about the prospects for the future of the Catalan state - for the creation of which they plan to vote as soon as their turn comes.

80 percent of Catalans support the referendum

“For 15 years we have been demanding from the central government respect for our language and the laws that our parliament adopts,” says Pilar Prieto. “And every time the answer is the same: refusal. We were not listened to and not respected. And therefore the movement for independence from Spain was gaining momentum."

Her husband Pere Guifra points to opinion polls that show 80 percent of Catalans support holding a referendum on its own - regardless of whether they want separation from Spain or not. And the only way out of this impasse is a fair and legal referendum following the example of Scotland. But the stubbornness of the central government in Madrid pushed the Catalans to organize a referendum on their own.

“We understand what awaits us,” he answers the question about the enormous costs of independent Catalonia to join the European Union, the euro zone and the Schengen area from scratch. “The first few years will be difficult. But we are losing huge sums that go to "Madrid is not being returned to us. So we want to defend our rights today, knowing full well that it will not be easy."

Journalists are not allowed into the polling station itself - election commission employees are afraid of reprisals from the Spanish courts. The fine for organizing an illegal referendum is 300 thousand euros. And with all the desire for separation from Spain, it is obvious that many assume that Catalonia will remain under the jurisdiction of Madrid.

Clashes between demonstrators and police

One and a half kilometers to the north, next to the world famous Sagrada Familia, the situation is completely different. The police blocked the school, inside of which there is a polling station. On the street, hundreds of demonstrators in the pouring rain are demanding the exercise of what they believe is their civil right - to vote in a referendum that has been declared illegal. Ballots are distributed in the crowd by young activists to everyone - without any identification cards or other formalities.

Context

Passions run high when, under the cover of police special forces, plainclothes agents run out of the school building with ballot boxes in their hands. Demonstrators rush at their feet and try to block the passage of police vans. Plainclothes agents load ballot boxes into the trunk of a car, hastily jump inside and hit the gas. Police drag demonstrators along the asphalt, clearing the way for themselves. The roar of police helicopters does not subside over the city center.

Further chaos is planned

No one thinks about the complete senselessness of what is happening. The Catalan government and the Spanish government accuse each other of provocations. In the afternoon there are reports of more than 90 wounded in clashes with police, as well as 12 police officers injured. The government in Madrid calls what is happening a "farce." People queuing at polling stations say a general strike is being prepared across Catalonia - it could start next week.

Emotions are running high, and no one prefers to remember the possible losses in the region from chaos and political instability. And this despite the fact that Catalonia is the most industrialized region of the country, accounting for almost 20 percent of Spain's GDP. Even before the start of the referendum in Barcelona, ​​there were rumors of a general strike planned for next week. Thousands of tourists who are in the city, one of the most popular metropolises in Europe, could become its hostages.

It is expected that voting will last until 21.00 local time (22.00 Moscow time). The Catalan government has said that if a majority of votes are cast in favor of secession from Spain, a declaration of independence will be adopted within 48 hours. If the majority votes “against”, then Catalonia will face new elections to the regional parliament.

In any of these cases, further chaos is programmed.

See also:

• Controversial referendum

  On October 1, despite the ban from official Madrid, a referendum on independence was held in Catalonia. Following its results, the regional authorities stated that 90% of participants voted for independence with a turnout of 42.3%. The question was: “Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state with a republican form of government?”



Catalonia on the road to independence

"There was no referendum"

Even before the referendum, Madrid declared that the plebiscite was unconstitutional. On October 1, the police closed polling stations and confiscated ballot boxes and ballots. Batons and rubber bullets were used against the protesters. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said that in the autonomy territory “there was no referendum, but a staging.” The Catalan government was held responsible for the unrest.



Catalonia on the road to independence

Inspirer of the Catalan secession

The ideological supporter of the independence of the region is the head of the Catalan regional administration, Carles Puigdemont. He previously stated that the Catalans have earned the right to an independent state in the form of a republic. And at the beginning of September 2017, the local parliament adopted a special law opening the way to independence through a referendum.



Catalonia on the road to independence

Is Catalonia the “breadwinner” of Spain?

Catalonia is located in northeastern Spain. This is one of the most important industrial and agricultural regions. About 7 million people live here. Most of the pro-independence residents of Catalonia are convinced that the region “feeds” the country. In their opinion, of the 16 billion euros in taxes that Catalonia pays to the state treasury, not much comes back to the region.



Catalonia on the road to independence

Worsening relations with Madrid

The aggravation of relations with Madrid, which led to the current situation, began in 2006, when Catalonia adopted a new version of the Statute of Autonomy. It provides, in particular, for changes in government funding and obliges citizens of the region to speak Catalan. In 2010, the Supreme Court of Spain declared the new charter illegal - and the conflict between Barcelona and Madrid began to gain momentum.



Catalonia on the road to independence

Separatism comes from the Middle Ages

Catalonia's desire for independence has grown over the centuries. From X to beginning XVIII century this region was independent. But in 1714, as a result of the War of the Spanish Succession and the subordination of Catalonia to the Bourbons, local authorities were disbanded here, and Spanish was declared the official language. By the end of the 19th century. Catalonia regained its importance through economic and cultural recovery.



Catalonia on the road to independence

Under Franco's dictatorship

The fascist victory in the Spanish Civil War in 1939 brought a new wave of suppression of freedoms and a ban on regional languages ​​to the Catalans. It was only after the death of dictator Franco in 1975 that Catalonia could claim greater independence. The Democratic Constitution of 1978 and the Statutes of Autonomy of 1979 established self-government for the autonomous regions of Spain, including Catalonia.



Catalonia on the road to independence

Declaration of Independence

10 days after the illegal referendum, the Catalan government accepts a document on the independence of the region. "We establish the Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign state," it says. However, the declaration of independence was postponed.



Catalonia on the road to independence

Was there independence?

On October 11, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy presented an ultimatum to the regional authorities: Catalonia must clarify whether it has declared independence or not. This is a necessary condition in order for Article 155 of the constitution to be invoked and deprive Catalonia of its autonomy status.

Autonomous region from Spain and the transition to a republican form of statehood. Polling stations closed at 20.00 local time. A victorious rally of thousands immediately began in Plaza Catalunya in the center of Barcelona. It will take time to draw the final results, but observers already have no doubt: the majority of voters, when asked on the ballot whether they agreed to secession from Spain and the transition to a republican form of state, ticked the “yes” box.

For almost a month, official Madrid (the decision on the referendum was adopted by the Catalan Parliament on September 6) did its best to prevent the holding of the plebiscite. On election day, the Civil Guard, directly subordinate to the government of Mariano Rajoy, tried to force voters out of polling stations and confiscate ballot boxes and ballots. The day before, guards closed 1,300 polling stations in towns and villages in the region, and also occupied the main Catalan information center to make it impossible to tally the voting results. The sites were also closed during the plebiscite - according to data cited at a press conference by Catalan government representative Jordi Turul, armed envoys from Madrid forced the cessation of work on 319 sites. Even the head of the Catalan government, Carles Puigdemont, was unable to vote at his place of residence.

The guards acted harshly - at first the government of the Catalan autonomy reported 465 injured citizens (one would like to write “peaceful”, which is completely true). Later, the Department of Health clarified the figure: throughout the entire Autonomous Region. Broken faces, broken fingers, wounds from rubber bullets and concussions - all this made observers talk about the exorbitant and unjustified harshness with which official Madrid tried to force the Catalans to refuse to vote.

The government of the Kingdom of Spain, led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, annulled the results of the Catalan referendum in advance and declared it “illegal.” Mariano Rajoy called everything that happened in stations throughout Catalonia “scenography.” “Today a referendum on self-determination did not take place in Catalonia,” he said. “The rule of law has retained its strength.” The Spanish Prime Minister said the results of the vote will not be taken into account by the government of the kingdom.

Observers immediately reacted to his words as a good face on a bad game. If the results are so insignificant, and the opponents are nothing of themselves, why was it necessary to spend so much effort on the sake of a “witch hunt” and fight so fiercely with these ghosts?

In turn, Jordi Turul promised that Catalonia would appeal to an international court to complain about violence by Spanish law enforcement agencies. “Spain has compromised itself and will be held accountable for it,” he said. During the voting process, the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) also made a statement - however, its call to “avoid excessive use of force against referendum participants” was not heard.

The population of Catalonia is now 7.5 million people, more than 5.3 million have the right to vote. About 3 million came to the polling stations - and this despite pressure, threats and direct military actions.

Throughout the day there were huge queues at the polling stations. Voters from other neighborhoods or districts flocked to the voting centers that the police failed to close. People greeted with applause the representatives of the older generation, who were not afraid to come and express their will. The old people were embarrassed, sometimes wiped away their tears and waved back to their fellow citizens.

In some villages and towns, as Catalan social media users and the regional press reported, people blocked the guardsmen's road with trucks, felled trees across the roadway, and stood in the way of the police. There was even information, the reliability of which is difficult to verify, but quite eloquent in itself. One of the Internet users said that in his village the arriving police were unquestioningly given... a fake ballot box. Inside it were pieces of paper with the inscription “whoever read this is a fool.”

Now in Barcelona and other Catalan cities they are celebrating the victory. “Hello, Europe!”, “Hello, democracy!”, “Hello, republic!”, “Hello, our country!” - it is written on the posters around the stage in Plaza Catalunya.

Despite the fact that official Madrid still takes a tough position and refuses to recognize the referendum, the European Parliament has already taken a step towards the “rebels”. Deputy President of the European Parliament, Austrian MEP from the Green party Ulrike Lunacek called the plebiscite “legitimate”, making the following reservation: “As the example of Scotland has shown, it must take place in agreement with Madrid. At the same time, the central government must finally end the blockade of dialogue.” The MP is "shocked" that Spanish guards under Rajoy's government used rubber bullets, batons and tear gas against Catalan voters. “Together with the Green faction in the European Parliament, I once again call on the European Commission to mediate between the central government of Spain and the Catalan regional government. We must not allow a referendum on independence to escalate into a state close to civil war in the 21st century,” Lunacek said.

Famous writer JK Rowling also expressed her indignation at the excessive harshness of the Spanish security forces.

In turn, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her support to Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and fully approved of his position regarding the referendum.

On the Russian side, Andrei Klimov, Deputy Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, Head of the Commission for the Protection of State Sovereignty, expressed his opinion. In an interview with Russia Today, he noted that in the situation with Catalonia, the West is using a system of double standards. “As far as I remember, they did their best to call on the same Yanukovych to refrain from using force. They forced him to withdraw the Berkut from the Maidan, remove the police, withdraw troops from the city. Here we see everything exactly the opposite: the arrival of troops, National Guard, use of force," the senator said.

Tomorrow the voting results will continue in Catalonia. The results will be known soon.