With only 70 votes – secret – in favour, ten against and two abstentions, the Catalan Parliament approved the independence proposal. At the time of the vote, the unionist opposition left the Chamber.
Therefore the break with Madrid was definitive. The decision of the Catalan Parliament therefore opens up new scenarios: the Catalan Republic has been declared "constituted" as an "independent and sovereign state of democratic and social law". Numerous demonstrators took to the streets to celebrate the outcome of the vote.
The response from Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was not long in coming, promptly declaring that Madrid will dismiss the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, the vice president and all the members of the government with the extraordinary powers that will be granted to him by the Upper House.
In addition, Rajoy announced that he will dissolve the Catalan Parliament and call elections in Catalonia for December 21st. The activation of article 155 of the Constitution therefore remains, according to Madrid, the only possible alternative to enforce the law: "an exceptional decision for an exceptional situation", said Rajoy, who continued to point out Puigdemont as the only and solely responsible for activating the extraordinary measure.
Article 155, Rajoy underlined, is activated "not against Catalonia, but so that Catalonia is not abused". For the prime minister, "no democratic government could have remained impassive, as if nothing had happened" in the face of the independence challenge. A challenge which, he added, "will never have the support of Europe", as it "goes against the founding principles and values" of the EU.
“Nothing changes for the European Union. Spain remains our only interlocutor”. This is what the President of the European Council, Donald, writes on Twitter Tuskon the declaration of independence of Catalonia. Tusk also said he hopes "that the Spanish government favors the force of argument over the argument of force." All of Europe lined up against the independence of Catalonia and in support of the Spanish government. Trump has also expressed support for Madrid.
