Pro-independence parties in Spain’s Catalonia region have won an absolute majority in regional elections, near complete results show.
With more than 90% of the votes counted, the main separatist alliance and a smaller party won 72 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament.
They said earlier a majority would allow them to declare independence from Spain unilaterally within 18 months.
There is surely a great irony here. Just as our inept and self-serving European Union administration drives harder and harder towards a united states of Europe, the member states of the EU fragment. If Catalonia breaks away from Spain, the Basques will not be far behind. Belgium is already a myth as a unitary nation being hopelessly split between Flemish and Walloon. Here in the UK we face a challenge in retaining Scotland. I would have thought that the EU might give some thought to preserving the integrity of its member nations. But then again, this is the European Union that, faced with 800,000+ migrants this year, plans to settle 120,000 of them, has no policy of what to do with the rest, and gives Greece no help at all as the refugees and migrants pour in. No wonder the Catalans want out.
The BBC World Service did good coverage prior to the election, questioning the Catalonian leadership’s claims and at the same time spouting the party line (re. Scotland) over how poorly the EU looks at devolution of modern states in general. The separatists claim that the EU will automatically accept Catalonians separated from Spain as EU citizens – that is really not a given.
It’s all interesting to watch from this side of the pond; but, I’m not an MEP, nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.