Catalonia Referendum Shrouded in Controversy
Spanish officials trying to delay the October 1 date
The Spanish Government is stuck in a predicament. Catalonia, the richest Spanish region, is seeking to hold a referendum on October 1 on whether or not to declare independence. If the majority say “yes,” Catalan officials are planning to declare independence within a 2 day period (Reuters, 2017). But Spain is determined to keep that from happening, and the reasons are clear. Catalonia is the keeper of around 19% of Spain’s economy, and their secession would lead to a yearly 2% drop in Spanish GDP (CNBC, 2017). But Catalonia has been rallying for independence since 1922, and many demands from the region that could have curbed tensions went denied; a previous referendum had even already taken place in 2014, and while the majority voted “yes,” the voter turnout was exceedingly low.
And Madrid is determined to keep a Catalan secession from happening. Spain’s federal government says that the referendum is illegal. Many extra Spanish officers have been sent into the region, and tensions have risen. The officials even stole 10 million ballot papers and raided delivery companies in an effort to stall the referendum in anyway possible (The Washington Post, 2017). Spanish police will also have duties to make sure the referendum does not take place under their eyes. What will happen next is uncertain, but updates are inevitable in the near future.