TFK Explains: Spain

In October, people in Catalonia, a region of Spain, voted to secede. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Catalonia?

Spain is a country in Europe. It is made up of 17 regions. Catalonia is one of these regions. It is home to 7.5 million people. They are known as Catalans. Catalans have their own language. They have their own customs and culture. Catalonia’s capital is Barcelona. It is Spain’s second-largest city.

What does it mean to secede?

To secede means to separate from an organization or group. When one part of a country separates from the rest of the country, it secedes.

Why do the people of Catalonia want to secede from Spain?

On October 1, people in Catalonia held a vote. It was to decide whether to secede from Spain. More than 2 million people voted. They overwhelmingly chose to form their own country.

Calls for secession are a Catalan tradition. Catalans have discussed independence for years. Catalonia is one of the wealthiest regions in Spain. Many people there feel that they do more to support Spain than Spain does to support Catalonia. Carles Puigdemont is the president of Catalonia. He says the people of Catalonia have the right to determine their own future.

How has the Spanish government responded?

The Spanish government says the vote was unconstitutional × unconstitutional PHOTOQUEST/GETTY IMAGES not allowed or not legal according to the Constitution (adjective) The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that school segregation was unconstitutional. . It says anyone who cast a ballot × ballot DANIEL GRILL/GETTY IMAGES a sheet of paper used to cast a secret vote (noun) Local residents cast their ballots during the city council election. was breaking the law. Spanish courts also said the vote was illegal. Members of Spain’s national police were sent to Catalonia to stop the vote from taking place. Police shot rubber bullets at voters. Officers tried to take away ballots. In some cases, they dragged voters out of polling places. Nearly 900 people were injured.

Mariano Rajoy is Spain’s prime minister. On October 21, he said he would remove Puigdemont from office. He announced plans to take control of Catalonia. “No government of any democratic country can accept that the law be violated, ignored, and changed,” Rajoy said.

What will happen next?

At press time, Rajoy’s plan to take control of Catalonia had not yet been approved by Spain’s Senate. But it is expected to pass. Meanwhile, Puigdemont says he will not back down. “Democratically deciding the future of a nation is not a crime,” he said on October 21.