An image from the debate ahead of the vote in the Catalan regional parliament. Photo: Lluis Gene/AFP
Catalonia's parliament passed a motion to declare independence from Spain after a tense debate that resulted in some opposition politicians leaving the chamber in protest.
Following a request from one of the pro-independence MPs, parliament speaker Carme Forcadell read part of the preamble from the motion, in which a declaration of independence is made
The vote then took place, resulting in 70 votes in favour of approving the text, ten against and two blank votes.
Opposition politicians from Citizens and the PP left the chamber before the vote in protest, and did not take part.
Separatists who had gathered on the streets of Barcelona and near the parliament building celebrated as the news of the vote came in.
Catalan president Carles Puigdemont casting his vote on the motion declaring independence. Photo: Lluis Gene/AFPAttention now turns to Madrid, where the Senate is due to vote on measures to intervene in the region’s autonomy and remove the Catalan government from power. PM Mariano Rajoy made an appeal for the measures to pass earlier on Friday, insisting it was a response to "a continuous process of anti-democratic decisions" in Catalonia.
Ahead of the vote, Marta Rovira from the governing pro-independence Together for Yes coalition argued "we need a more mature and demanding culture of democracy. The debate about the constitutional process has to be constant".
"Today we will found a new country based on these principles, and dignity. We're doing it."
Inés Arrimadas of Citizens called the vote "an attack on the fundamental values of the European Union," adding "that's why you have no support".
"Are you not ashamed to lead a political movement that excludes those who think differently?" PP MP Alejandro Fernández asked.
But Carles Riera from pro-independence party CUP insisted that Spain's constitutional framework is broken:
"It is a problem because it doesn't provide solutions for the current issue. We propose a new framework of a republic that offers democratic solutions".
PM Rajoy reacted almost instantly to the vote on Twitter, asking Spaniards to be "calm" and insisting that "legality will be restored in Catalunya".
Pro-independence supporters in Barcelona. Photo: The Local
Madrid taking away Catalonia's regional powers is likely to be seen as a humiliation and a provocation by Catalans. A backlash is anticipated, with street protests planned for Sunday, while regional government workers could follow a policy of disobedience or non-cooperation.
On top of that, an expected early election within six months could still deliver a steadfastly pro-independence Catalan parliament, even if recent polls have suggested the region of 7.5 million people is roughly evenly split on secession and some Catalans strongly oppose independence.
A spokesman with Spain's prosecutor office, meanwhile, said the prosecutor would seek to lay rebellion charges against those responsible for the Catalan independence vote.
The day of drama, featuring emotional speeches and scenes of joy and despair, went to the heart of Spain's political and cultural history.
The 1978 Constitution, drawn up after the end of Gen. Francisco Franco's decades-long dictatorship, created a decentralized Spanish state that devolved power to 17 autonomous regions, including Catalonia. The regions have broad administrative and legal powers. The Spanish Constitution, however, also describes Spain as "indivisible."
Catalonia has its own cultural traditions and its own language. Having long seen themselves as different from Spain, the Catalan drive for independence began in 2010 when the Constitutional Court struck down key parts of a groundbreaking charter that would have granted Catalonia greater autonomy and recognized it as a nation within Spain.
Catalonia represents a fifth of Spain's gross domestic product and many want the tax revenues generated by the industrious region to remain at home.
After the vote on independence in the Catalan parliament, an unprecedented challenge to Spain's status quo, officials and lawmakers let loose cries of "Freedom!"
Outside parliament, thousands who had gathered cheered the news, some dancing and raising a toast. In Barcelona, people crowded around TV sets to watch the historical events unfold. The famous St. Jaume square outside the regional government office was packed with thousands of people celebrating. Many of them were draped with the "Estelada" flag that adds a blue triangle to the red and yellow Catalan flag and has become a symbol of the separatist struggle.
"I feel so emotional after the huge fight we went through, we finally got it ... the independence of Catalonia!" said 74-year-old Rosalina Cordera Torelles.
Nearby, 24-year-old Rita Carboneras could hardly contain her excitement.
"I'm super, super, super happy. Super excited," she said. "So relieved. Now we are Catalan at last. We can be ourselves. We are just happy, look everyone around. Everything is so exciting."
The exhilaration was short-lived. Some 500 kilometers (300 miles) to the south, the Senate in Madrid voted by an overwhelming margin of 214 to 47 in favor of granting the government exceptional powers.
"I call on all Spaniards to remain calm. The rule of law will restore legality to Catalonia," Rajoy said on Twitter, adding that what is happening in Catalonia is "a clear violation of the laws, of democracy, of the rights of all, and that has consequences."
The main opposition Socialist party supports Rajoy's stance on Catalonia, and many Spaniards outside the region are scornful of Catalonia's secession ambitions.
Rajoy has also received support from outside Spain, with other European leaders rejecting Catalonia's claims. The U.S. administration also backed Rajoy, after President Donald Trump last month branded the Catalan independence ballot as "foolish."
"Catalonia is an integral part of Spain, and the United States supports the Spanish government's constitutional measures to keep Spain strong and united," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.
Also supporting Rajoy's warnings of trouble in Catalonia if it forges ahead with its secession bid, more than 1,500 businesses have moved their official headquarters out of Catalonia this month to ensure they can continue operating under European Union laws if Catalonia secedes. The EU says Catalonia will be tossed out of the bloc if it leaves Spain and would have to apply to become a member, a lengthy process.
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