First wave of independence consultations

Next December 13th more than 700.000 Catalan people will have the chance to vote if they want a Catalan independent state. The consultation will have no legal effects but symbolical. Spanish state forbade a legal referendum without arguing any democratic reason. So it is called “consultation”. A strong movement has emerged to organize this event supported by many political groups as CUP, ERC or CDC. Some CiU (alliance between liberal CDC and demo Christians UDC) local sections, not many, have not supported it but some PSOE local groups, a few, have.

Spanish government forbade local governments to use their official buildings to vote. The first village to organize such a consultation was Arenys de Munt. Spanish government opposed then the use of the local government offices by means of a lawyer. This lawyer was a fascist person with a past linked to the pro-nazi Franco’s dictatorship. Arenys organized the consultation in another building and more than 41 % people voted: 96 % voted in favour of independence. This was the first ever consultation of this kind but its success was as high as unexpected. On December 13th more than 160 villages will follow its example.