Catalonia’s quest for statehood
Defiant Catalonians push ahead with symbolic independence referendum, despite Madrid’s objections.
Catalans are going ahead with a symbolic vote on Sunday on whether to separate from Spain. That’s despite the objections of the Spanish government and the Constitutional court.
But the president of the semi-autonomous region, Artur Mas, has been forced to make legal changes to the framework of the vote in order to avoid violating the court’s decision.
And in the absence of a formal electoral role, the vote will be purely symbolic. Which means, it will be volunteers – not state officials – who will be responsible for organising it and it’s non-binding.
But whatever the outcome, it will have significant impact on the pro – and anti-independence movements in Spain.
The region’s separatist drive has become the biggest challenge facing prime minister Mariano Rajoy.
But do Catalonians have reasons to split from Spain? And can their region become a country of its own?
Presenter: Martine Dennis
Guests:
Jordi Munoz – Senior Research Fellow at the University of Barcelona.
Berta Barbet Prota – Politics and International Relations PhD Student at the University of Leicester.
Jordi Matas Castello – Catalonian Photographer.