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103-556: The Assemblea Nacional Catalana (in English: Catalan National Assembly, ANC by its Catalan acronym) is an organization that seeks the political independence of Catalonia from Spain . It also promotes the independence of other Catalan-speaking regions, which are collectively known as the Catalan Countries ( Països Catalans ). Its current president is Jordi Sànchez i Picanyol . Sànchez

206-726: A Catalan Republic within Spain in 1931, subsequently accepting autonomy within the Spanish state after negotiations with the leaders of the Second Spanish Republic . During the Spanish Civil War , General Francisco Franco abolished Catalan autonomy in 1938. Following Franco's death in 1975, Catalan political parties concentrated on the recovery and further increase of autonomy rather than independence. The contemporary independence movement began around 2009 after

309-540: A crowdfunding campaign at totSuma in order to offer support to all the interested parties. On 1 June 2013, the ANC began the "Sign a Vote for Independence" campaign, in which, through the right to petition , petitions were collected to ask the Catalan Parliament to exhaust all of the possible paths toward facilitating the celebration of a referendum for self-determination of Catalonia before 31 May 2014, and in

412-648: A human chain of about 400 km in length, known as the Catalan Way , that was held on the National Day of Catalonia (11 September) following the path of the old Via Augusta from La Jonquera (in the north of Catalonia) to Alcanar (in the south). It was inspired by the Baltic Way , which was organized by Baltic political movements seeking independence from the Soviet Union in 1989 and spanned

515-529: A resolution declaring the start of the independence process , proposed by Junts pel Sí and the CUP. In response, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said that the state would "use any available judicial and political mechanism contained in the constitution and in the laws to defend the sovereignty of the Spanish people and of the general interest of Spain", a hint that he would not stop at military intervention. Following prolonged negotiations between Junts pel Sí and

618-693: A 240,000 euros sanction imposed by the Spanish agency responsible for data protection . Independence of Catalonia The beginnings of separatism in Catalonia can be traced back to regionalist and nationalist movements of the mid–19th century, influenced by romantic ideas widespread in Europe at the time. The first organised Catalan independence party was Estat Català (Catalan State), founded in 1922 by Francesc Macià . In 1931, Estat Català and other parties formed Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (Republican Left of Catalonia, ERC). Macià proclaimed

721-579: A Spanish federal republic or even the independence. Between the 1850s and the 1910s, some individuals, organisations and political parties started demanding full independence of Catalonia from Spain. The first pro-independence political party in Catalonia was Estat Català (Catalan State), founded in 1922 by Francesc Macià . Estat Català went into exile in France during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera (1923–1930), launching an unsuccessful uprising from Prats de Molló in 1926. In March 1931, following

824-492: A big V for voluntat (will), as well as voting and victory. According to police there were 1.8 million and according to organizations 2.5 million people to demand for a poll on 9 November 2014. On 14 September the Catalan Assembly gave to the parliament president, Núria de Gispert, nearly 750,000 signatures collected in the campaign "Sign a vote for independence", to ask Catalan government to declare independence if

927-462: A far-left/Green coalition ( ICV–EUiA ), headed by Pasqual Maragall . The government produced a draft for a new Statute of Autonomy , which was supported by the CiU and was approved by the parliament by a large majority. The draft statute then had to be approved by the Spanish parliament, which could make changes; it did so, removing clauses on finance and the language, and an article stating that Catalonia

1030-626: A fine but received no prison term. The court dismissed the charges of rebellion . Some of the defendants of the trial have expressed their intention to appeal to the Constitutional Court of Spain and the European Court of Human Rights . The verdict delivered by the Supreme Court sparked multiple protests across the region. Clashes erupted into open violence, as protesters reacted violently at police efforts to end

1133-582: A human chain, the Catalan Way , from the French border to the regional border with Valencia. The following month, the CiU, the ERC, the ICV-EUiA and Candidatura d'Unitat Popular (CUP) agreed to hold the independence referendum on 9 November 2014, and that it would ask two questions: "Do you want Catalonia to become a State?" and (if yes) "Do you want this State to be independent?". A further mass demonstration,

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1236-456: A massive march on Barcelona, with the slogan "Catalonia, new state in Europe". It was a historic day for the separatist camp, both for the number of people in attendance as well as the markedly pro-independence tone of the march, never before seen in such a well-attended event (estimates of the crowds range widely, from 600,000 people quoted by some media, statisticians such as Llorenç Badiella from

1339-472: A minority government. In March 2024 Aragonès called a snap election after his budget was voted down. In that election , the pro-independence parties lost their majority in the parliament for the first time in 10 years. Junts slightly increased their number of seats, but the ERC and CUP lost heavily, meaning the pro-independence were far short of the 68 seats needed to form a government. The parties explicitly campaigning for independence currently represented in

1442-513: A motion with the aim to proclaim an independent republic. At the same time, the Spanish senate voted to take control of the Catalan institutions until new regional elections . The autonomous government leaders were arrested in the subsequent weeks with some fleeing abroad including then president Carles Puigdemont . In 2019, the new Spanish government agreed to hold a 'table of negotiations' with

1545-574: A politician from the Second Republic , did not attend any more. The subsequent failure of the statutory reform with respect to its objectives opened the door to the growth of Catalan sovereignty. The conservative Partido Popular , which had opposed the statute in the Spanish parliament, challenged its constitutionality in the Spanish High Court of Justice . The case lasted four years. In its judgement, issued on 18 June 2010,

1648-633: A pro-independence agenda with a left-wing stance. A split in the PSAN led to the formation of the Partit Socialista d'Alliberament Nacional - Provisional (Socialist Party of National Liberation – Provisional; PSAN-P) in 1974. Following Franco's death in 1975, Spain moved to restore democracy . A new constitution was adopted in 1978, which asserted the "indivisible unity of the Spanish Nation", but acknowledged "the right to autonomy of

1751-399: A pro-independence politician, called the violence "unprecedented" and distanced himself from the violent events, instead calling for peaceful protests to continue. On 19 October, following a fifth consecutive night of violence, Catalan President Quim Torra called for talks between the Catalan independence movement and the Spanish government , adding that violence had never been the "flag" of

1854-474: A reduced majority of 70 seats and a combined 47.5% of valid votes cast. Inés Arrimadas ' anti-independence Ciudadanos party was the most voted party with 25.4% of votes, the first time in Catalan history that a non-nationalist party won most votes and seats in an election. Parties which endorsed the suspension of autonomy by central government represented 43.5% of votes cast and parties which did not include independence in their electoral program amounted to 52.5% of

1957-642: A reduction to 33% of their usual capacity, while buses saw a reduction to 25–50% of their usual capacity. The roads to the French border remained blocked and all roads leading into Barcelona were also cut. 190 flights in and out of the city were cancelled as a result of the strike. Spanish car manufacturer SEAT further announced a halt in the production of its Martorell plant and most of Barcelona's tourist sites had been closed and occupied by pro-independence demonstrators waving Estelada independence flags and posters with pro-independence slogans. The El Clásico football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF

2060-583: A response in the form of published letter, Crida a la Solidaritat en Defensa de la Llengua, la Cultura i la Nació Catalanes ("Call for Solidarity in Defence of the Catalan Language, Culture and Nation"), which called for a mass meeting at the University of Barcelona , out of which a popular movement arose. The Crida organised a series of protests that culminated in a massive demonstration in

2163-484: A series of events, including the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the Partido Popular (People's Party) challenging the 2006 Statute of Autonomy in the Constitutional Court of Spain ; Catalan municipalities held symbolic referendums on independence between 2009 and 2011. The 2010 ruling of the court that parts of the statute were unconstitutional sparked huge protests , and a snap election in 2012 led to

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2266-546: A vote considered illegal for violating the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Spain . As a result, the same day (27 October 2017) Article 155 of the Spanish constitution was triggered by the Spanish government; the Catalan government was dismissed and direct rule was imposed from the central government in Madrid . Under direct rule from Spain, elections were held in Catalonia on 21 December 2017. The three pro-independence parties retained their control of parliament with

2369-505: Is believed to have originated from signboards set up by ancient rulers to offer an avenue for the public to write petitions. In modern China the use of local petitioning bureaus remains common, however, those who remain dissatisfied still travel to the capital as a last resort to appeal to the central government. The National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration ( Chinese : 国家信访局 ) and local bureaus of letters and calls receive suggestions and grievances. The officers then channel

2472-462: Is illegal." A law creating an independent republic —in the event that the referendum took place and there was a majority "yes" vote, without requiring a minimum turnout—was approved by the Catalan parliament in a session on 6 September 2017. Opposition parties protested against the bill, calling it "a blow to democracy and a violation of the rights of the opposition", and staged a walkout before

2575-703: Is the right to make a complaint to, or seek the assistance of, one's government , without fear of punishment or reprisals. The right can be traced back to the Bill of Rights 1689 , the Petition of Right (1628) , and Magna Carta (1215) . In Europe, Article 44 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union ensures the right to petition to the European Parliament . Basic Law for

2678-502: The 2021 regional election (a total of 74 out of 135 seats). Including those who won no seats, pro-independence parties had an overall share of 51.3% of the popular vote. Other smaller pro-independence parties or coalitions, without present representation in any parliament, are PDeCAT (formerly called CDC ), Catalan Solidarity for Independence , Estat Català , PSAN, and Reagrupament . There are also youth organisations such as Young Republican Left of Catalonia , Arran , La Forja , and

2781-594: The Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC), represented a "bottom-up" process by which society influenced the political movement for independence. At an institutional level, several municipalities of Catalonia came together to create the Association of Municipalities for Independence , an organisation officially established on 14 December 2011 in Vic which brought local organisations together to further

2884-542: The Autonomous University of Barcelona or the delegation of the Spanish government in Catalonia to 1.5 million according to Catalan public sources such as Barcelona's Municipal Police or Catalonia's Department of the Interior, with a maximum estimate of about 2 million according to the organizers) Two days after the demonstration, the president of the ANC, Carme Forcadell, and four additional members of

2987-550: The COVID-19 pandemic , pro-independence parties won over 50% of the popular vote for the first time, and increased their representation in the parliament from 70 to 74 seats. In June 2021, the nine activists who had been jailed in 2019 were released, having been pardoned by King Felipe VI on the advice of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez . In 2024, the Congress of Deputies voted in favour of amnesty for all those involved in

3090-624: The Camp Nou on 24 June 1981. Beginning as a cultural organisation, the Crida soon began to demand independence. In 1982, at a time of political uncertainty in Spain, the Ley Orgánica de Armonización del Proceso Autonómico (LOAPA) was introduced in the Spanish parliament, supposedly to "harmonise" the autonomy process, but in reality to curb the power of Catalonia and the Basque region . There

3193-722: The Catalan Parliament are the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC); the Junts per Catalunya coalition (composed of Crida Nacional per la República , Acció per la República , Els Verds–Alternativa Verda , and splinter elements from the PDeCAT ); and the Candidatura d'Unitat Popular (CUP), which included the smaller parties Endavant and Poble Lliure . They obtained 33, 32 and 9 seats, respectively, in

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3296-490: The Catalan Way 2014 , took place on 11 September 2014, when protesters wearing the Catalan colours of yellow and red filled two of Barcelona's avenues to form a giant "V", to call for a vote. Following the Constitutional Court's ruling, the Catalan government changed the vote to a "process of citizen participation" and announced that it would be supervised by volunteers. The Spanish government again appealed to

3399-524: The Círculo de bellas artes in Madrid to show support for ongoing reform of Catalan Statute of Autonomy, which sought to resolve territorial tensions, and among other things better protect the Catalan language. On the Catalan side, a flight was made with one hundred representatives of the cultural, civic, intellectual, artistic and sporting world of Catalonia, but on the Spanish side, except Santiago Carrillo ,

3502-626: The Reapers' War . The following year, the Catalan government seceded, establishing the independence of the Principality as a Catalan Republic , called France for protection and finally named Louis XIII count of Barcelona. After a decade of war, the Spanish Monarchy counter-attacked in 1652 and recovered Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia, except for Roussillon , which was annexed by France. Catalonia retained its fueros . During

3605-579: The Second Spanish Republic . Macià proclaimed a Catalan Republic on 14 April, but after negotiations with the provisional government he was obliged to settle for autonomy, under a revived Generalitat of Catalonia . Catalonia was granted a statute of autonomy in 1932, which lasted until the Spanish Civil War . In 1938, General Franco abolished both the Statute of Autonomy and the Generalitat. A section of Estat Català which had broken away from

3708-406: The Spanish government and the Constitutional Court, as the Catalan government lacks legal jurisdiction to organize referendums. The referendum was nonetheless held in 2017 amidst great political and social controversy including police violence aimed at stopping it both before and during the voting. Amidst large protests from both the pro- and anti-independence camps, the Catalan parliament approved

3811-516: The Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 1979 , which was approved in a referendum, with 88% of voters supporting it. This led to the marginalisation or disappearance of pro-independence political groups, and for a time the gap was filled by militant groups such as Terra Lliure . In 1981, a manifesto issued by intellectuals in Catalonia claiming discrimination against the Castilian language , drew

3914-697: The War of Spanish Succession , most of the territories of the Crown of Aragon, including the Principality of Catalonia, fiercely supported Archduke Charles , the Habsburg contender, who swore the Catalan constitutions , against the Bourbon contender, who would later abolish the Catalan constitutions and political institutions through the Nueva Planta Decrees . The Habsburgs' English allies withdrew from

4017-589: The 2017 campaign, including Carles Puigdemont; despite the law being vetoed by the Senate, it was expected to be enacted by the end of May 2024. On May 30, the Spanish Parliament voted 177 to 172 to pass a bill granting amnesty to hundreds of Catalan secessionists involved in the Catalan declaration of independence from 2011 to 2017. Junts and the ERC split in October 2022, leaving Pere Aragonès leading

4120-485: The 9 November poll could not be held. Of note was the abstention in Catalonia during the 2023 Spanish general election ; at 34.58%, it was the highest of all the Autonomous Communities and the highest recorded there since 2011. As the majority Catalan pro-independence organization, the ANC promoted abstention as a form of protest, which was joined by other entities and organizations. Shortly thereafter,

4223-511: The ANC dissociated itself from the call for mass abstention of the pro-independence movement. In part due to a campaign led by the ANC encouraging pro-Catalan independence voters to boycott the election , pro-independence parties lost 46% of the votes they won in the previous election, materializing in the loss of 9 seats and the exit from the Congress of the anti-capitalists of the Popular Unity Candidacy . The budget for 2015

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4326-483: The ANC. The regional chapters of the ANC periodically organize a series of events in their respective areas with respect to the independence of Catalonia in preparation for the Catalan independence referendum in 2014 . At the end of June, 2012, the so-called "March toward Independence" begun in Seu Vella (Lleida). After a series of festive, symbolic, and protest events, this march would culminate on 11 September with

4429-560: The Barcelona police counting at least 525,000 protesters in the city. By late 18 October, minor trade unions ( Intersindical-CSC and Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya  [ ca ] ) linked to pro-independence movement called for a general strike . However, major trade unions ( UGT and CCOO ) did not endorse the event as well as representatives of the latter contested its very nature as "strike". Five peaceful marches converged on Barcelona's city center, essentially bringing

4532-550: The CUP, Mas was replaced as president by Carles Puigdemont in January 2016. Puigdemont, on taking the oath of office, omitted the oath of loyalty to the king and the Spanish constitution, the first Catalan president to do so. Further pro-independence demonstrations took place in Barcelona in September 2015 , and in Barcelona, Berga , Lleida , Salt and Tarragona in September 2016 . In late September 2016, Puigdemont told

4635-470: The Catalan authorities, 90% of voters supported independence, but turnout was only 43%, and there were reports of irregularities. On 10 October 2017, in the aftermath of the referendum, the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia , Carles Puigdemont , declared the independence of Catalonia but left it suspended. Puigdemont said during his appearance in the Catalan parliament that he assumes, in presenting

4738-595: The Catalan independence are the People's Party (PP), the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) and Vox . Catalunya en Comú (Comuns) supports federalism and a legal and agreed referendum. The Principality of Catalonia was a state of the composite monarchy known as Crown of Aragon . The Principality was the result of the absortion or vassalization by the County of Barcelona of the other Catalan counties (such as

4841-469: The Constitutional Court, and despite the action of Spanish police to prevent voting in some centres. Images of violence from Spanish riot police beating Catalan voters shocked people and human rights organizations across the globe and resulted in hundreds of injured citizens according to Catalan government officials. Some foreign politicians, including the former Belgian Prime-Minister Charles Michel , condemned violence and called for dialogue. According to

4944-538: The Constitutional Court, which suspended the process pending the appeal, but the vote went ahead. The result was an 81% vote for yes-yes, but the turnout was only 42%, which could be seen as a majority opposed to both independence and the referendum. Criminal charges were subsequently brought against Mas and others for defying the court order. In June 2015 the CiU broke up as a result of disagreement between its constituent parties – Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) and Unió Democràtica de Catalunya (UDC) – over

5047-593: The ERC in 1936 joined with other groups to found the Front Nacional de Catalunya (National Front of Catalonia; FNC) in Paris in 1940. The FNC declared its aim to be "an energetic protest against Franco and an affirmation of Catalan nationalism". Its impact, however, was on Catalan exiles in France rather than in Catalonia itself. The FNC in turn gave rise to the Partit Socialista d'Alliberament Nacional (Socialist Party of National Liberation; PSAN), which combined

5150-482: The ERC, "giving an impulse to the independentist refounding" of that party. In 1992 the police operation known as " Operation Garzón " saw the arrest of 45 Catalan pro-independence activists and politicians on the eve of the Summer Olympics held in Barcelona , under the accusation to be members of Terra Lliure without real proof. 25 of the arrested were kept in solitary confinement. They denounced torture at

5253-750: The Federal Republic of Germany guarantees the right of petition to "competent authorities and to the legislature". The right to petition in the United States is granted by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (1791). The prohibition of abridgment of the "right to petition " originally referred only to the Congress and the U.S. federal courts . The incorporation doctrine later expanded

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5356-525: The Spanish nation-state , with a centralised Spanish government. Like other contemporary European states, political union is the first step in the creation of the Spanish nation-state, in this case not on a uniform ethnic basis, but through the imposition of the political and cultural characteristics of the dominant ethnic group. in this case the Castilians, over those of other ethnic groups, become national minorities to be assimilated. In fact, since

5459-472: The Spanish Constitution, international treaties constitute the law of the land and, therefore, Spanish law must be interpreted in conformity with international treaties." On 27 October 2017 the Catalan Parliament voted in a secret ballot to approve a resolution declaring independence from Spain by a vote of 70–10 in the absence of the constitutionalist deputies, who refused to participate in

5562-551: The Spanish constitution, the UN Independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas, deplored the decision to suspend Catalan autonomy, stating "This action constitutes retrogression in human rights protection, incompatible with Articles 1, 19, 25 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Pursuant to Articles 10(2) and 96 of

5665-456: The Spanish justice system. Among the signatories are four Nobel Peace Prize winners and several world-renowned personalities such as Yoko Ono Lennon and Dilma Rousseff . The Nobel Peace Prize winners that signed the manifesto are: Jody Williams , Mairead Corrigan , Shirin Ebadi and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel . Right to petition The right to petition government for redress of grievances

5768-478: The campaign El País que Volem (The Country We Want), an open participative process for citizens whose goal is to collect their proposals about how should Catalonia be when it becomes an independent state. The Catalan Assembly and Òmnium Cultural organized the 2014 edition of the demonstration of the Catalan national day in Barcelona. This demonstration formed a huge Catalan flag all along 11 kilometers between Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Diagonal avenue forming

5871-424: The city to a halt. Protesters further blocked the road on the French-Spanish border. At least 20 other major roads were also blocked. Clashes nevertheless took place, with masked protesters confronting riot police by throwing stones and setting alight rubbish bins. 25,000 university students joined in the protest movement by declaring a peaceful student strike . As a result of the strike, trains and metro lines saw

5974-477: The counties of Girona, Osona, Urgell or Rousillon), while the Crown was created by the dynastic union of the County of Barcelona and the Kingdom of Aragon in 1137. In the late 15th century, Aragon united by marriage with the Crown of Castile to form what would later become the Monarchy of Spain . Initially, the various polities of the Crown of Aragon, including the Principality of Catalonia, kept their own laws and customs, known as Constitutions , equivalent in

6077-406: The court ruled that fourteen articles in the statute were unconstitutional, and that 27 others were to be interpreted restrictively. The affected articles included those that gave preference to the Catalan language, freed Catalonia from responsibility for the finances of other autonomous communities, and recognised Catalonia as a nation. The full text of the judgement was released on 9 July 2010, and

6180-419: The demonstration, with some demonstrators setting cars on fire and throwing jars of acid at police officers. The Catalan Law Enforcement agency Mossos d'Esquadra , which had previously been accused of aiding the independence movement, replied by firing tear gas at the demonstrators. The pro-independence speaker of the Catalan Parliament condemned the violent incidents and called for peaceful protests against

6283-412: The event that that attempt failed that the elected representatives of the people of Catalonia unilaterally declare the independence of Catalonia. The Catalan National Assembly and Òmnium Cultural organized a concert, the Concert for Freedom , in Camp Nou on 29 June 2013 to show off mass support in favor of independence. Around 90,000 people attended the concert. The Catalan Assembly also organized

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6386-406: The first pro-independence majority ever in the Catalan parliament . The new government held a "non-binding" self-determination referendum in 2014, which yielded a large majority in favour of independence, but with a low turnout due to boycotting by anti-independence voters. A further election in 2015 was followed by the calling of a new, binding referendum . This was however considered illegal by

6489-437: The first time the water cannon trunk acquired in 1994 from Israel in order to make way across the barricades. The clashes spread to cities outside Barcelona, with Spain's acting interior minister stating that 207 policemen had been injured since the start of the protests, while also noting that 128 people had been arrested by the nation's police forces. Miquel Buch , the Catalan Interior Minister, responsible for public order, and

6592-601: The following day a protest demonstration organised by the cultural organisation Òmnium Cultural was attended by over a million people, and led by José Montilla. During and after the court case, a series of symbolic referendums on independence were held in municipalities throughout Catalonia. The first of these was in the town of Arenys de Munt on 13 September 2009. About 40% of eligible voters participated, of whom 96% voted for independence. In all, 552 towns held independence referendums between 2009 and 2011. These, together with demonstrations organised by Òmnium Cultural and

6695-500: The former Speaker of the Parliament of Catalonia Carme Forcadell . The trial proceedings officially ended on 12 June 2019. A unanimous verdict by the seven judges that tried the case was made public on 14 October 2019. Nine of the 12 accused received prison sentences for the crimes of sedition ; of them, four were also found guilty of misuse of public funds . Their sentences ranged from 9 to 13 years. The remaining three accused were found guilty of disobedience and were sentenced to pay

6798-528: The government of Catalonia, though refusing beforehand to consider independence or self-determination. In 2020, the Spanish government began processing a request for the pardon of the arrested leaders, which was effective in June 2021. In the Parliament of Catalonia, parties explicitly supporting independence are Together for Catalonia (Junts), heir of the former Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC); Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) and Catalan Alliance . Parties opposed to

6901-426: The group's board were officially received at the Catalan Government Palace by then president Artur Mas . During the meeting, they suggested to him that he called plebiscitary elections to the Parliament of Catalonia on independence and that he called for a referendum in 2014. As a result of the demonstration, Mas called a snap election to the Catalan Parliament for 25 November 2012 and made clear in his speech in

7004-438: The hands of the Spanish police and threats of violence and rape to them and their families, as well as constant anti-Catalan insults. Following elections in 2003 , the moderate nationalist Convergència i Unió (CiU), which had governed Catalonia since 1980, lost power to a coalition of left-wing parties composed of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), the pro-independence Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) and

7107-442: The inaugural session of the General Policy Debates that he was convinced that the Parliament that came out of the new elections would have as its mission the exercise of the right to self-determination of Catalonia. At the beginning of 2013, the ANC began a Fiscal Sovereignty campaign so that private citizens, businesses, and local institutions could pay taxes en masse to the Catalan Tax Agency. From May to July, 2013, they organized

7210-463: The independence leaders were sent to preventive detention without bail, accused of crimes of rebellion , disobedience , and misuse of public funds . Carles Puigdemont and four members of his cabinet fled into self-exile. Twelve people were tried by the Supreme Court of Spain , including the previous vice president Oriol Junqueras of the regional government and most of the cabinet as well as political activists Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart and

7313-414: The independence movement. The head of the Spanish Government, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez , refused to hold talks with the Catalan government, as it deemed the former had not condemned the violence strongly enough. He further categorically rejected the idea of discussing Catalan Independence, stating that it was impossible under Spanish law. In the 2021 regional election , which saw a low turnout due to

7416-412: The independence process. Mas's CDC joined with the ERC and other groups to form Junts pel Sí (Together for "Yes"), which announced that it would declare independence if it won the election scheduled for September. In the September election , Junts pel Sí and the CUP between them won a majority of seats, but fell short of a majority of votes, with just under 48%. On 9 November 2015, the parliament passed

7519-529: The jurist and former member of the Consejo General del Poder Judicial Alfons López Tena. The Cercle d'Estudis Sobiranistes , a think tank led by the jurists Alfons López Tena and Hèctor López Bofill, was founded in 2007. It affiliated with Solidaritat Catalana per la Independència (Catalan Solidarity for Independence) in 2011. At the beginning of 2021, Òmnium Cultural published a manifesto to obtain amnesty for Catalan politicians persecuted by

7622-709: The life of the next legislature. Although the CiU lost seats to the ERC, Mas remained in power. Mas and ERC leader Oriol Junqueras signed an agreement by which the ERC would support the CiU on sovereignty issues while on other matters it might oppose it. The two leaders drafted the Declaration of Sovereignty and of the Right to Decide of the Catalan People , which was adopted by the parliament at its first sitting in January 2013. The declaration stated that "the Catalan people have, for reasons of democratic legitimacy,

7725-532: The marches as an opportunity to incite violence. Shortly thereafter, the Catalan President attempted to rally the crowd by stating that he will push for a new independence referendum as large scale protests continued for the fourth day. On 18 October, Barcelona became paralyzed, as tens of thousands of peaceful protesters answered the Catalan President's call and rallied in support of the jailed independence leaders. The demonstration grew quickly, with

7828-491: The most temperate and disguised measures so that the effect is achieved, without the care being noticed", and from there the actions, discreet or aggressive, are continued, and reach the last detail, such as, in 1799, the Royal Certificate prohibiting "represent, sing and dance pieces that were not in Spanish." These nationalist policies, sometimes very aggressive, and still in forces, have been and still are

7931-400: The national rights of Catalonia and promote its right to self-determination. The demonstration of 11 September 2012 explicitly called on the Catalan government to begin the process of secession. Immediately after it, Artur Mas , whose CiU had regained power in 2010 , called a snap election for 25 November 2012, and the parliament resolved that a referendum on independence would be held in

8034-540: The nationalities and regions which form it". Independence parties objected to it on the basis that it was incompatible with Catalan self-determination, and formed the Comité Català Contra la Constitució Espanyola (Catalan Committee Against the Constitution) to oppose it. The constitution was approved in a referendum by 88% of voters in Spain overall, and just over 90% in Catalonia. It was followed by

8137-649: The nature of a sovereign political and legal subject", and that the people had the right to decide their own political future. The Spanish government referred the declaration to the Spanish Constitutional Court , which ruled in March 2014 that the declaration of sovereignty was unconstitutional. The court did not, however, reject the "right to decide", arguing that that right didn't necessarily imply sovereignty or self-determination. On 11 September 2013, an estimated 1.6 million demonstrators formed

8240-721: The other kingdoms to the fueros ( furs in Catalan ), and political institutions such as the Catalan Courts and the Generalitat as a guarantee of their sovereignty and jurisdiction , for which they fought a civil war during the actual union of the crowns, known as the Catalan Civil War (1462–1472) between foralists and royalists. In 1640, during the Thirty Years War and Franco-Spanish War , Catalan peasants and institutions revolted, starting

8343-475: The overthrow of Primo de Rivera, Estat Català joined with the Partit Republicà Català (Catalan Republican Party) and the political group L'Opinió (Opinion) to form Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (Republican Left of Catalonia; ERC), with Macià as its first leader. The following month, the ERC achieved a spectacular victory in the municipal elections that preceded the 14 April proclamation of

8446-507: The parliament that a binding referendum on independence would be held in the second half of September 2017, with or without the consent of the Spanish institutions. Puigdemont announced in June 2017 that the referendum would take place on 1 October, and that the question would be, "Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?" The Spanish government said in response, "that referendum will not take place because it

8549-537: The political unification of 1714, Spanish assimilation policies towards Catalan-speaking territories ( Catalonia , Valencia , the Balearic Islands , part of Aragon ) and other national minorities have been a historical constant. It begins with secret instructions to the corregidores of the Catalan territory: "will take the utmost care to introduce the Castilian language, for which purpose he will give

8652-669: The polling stations up to €300,000, shut down web sites, and demanded that Google remove a voting location finder from the Android app store. Police were sent from the rest of Spain to suppress the vote and close polling locations, but parents scheduled events at schools (where polling places are located) over the weekend and vowed to occupy them to keep them open during the vote. Some election organizers were arrested, including Catalan cabinet officials, while demonstrations by local institutions and street protests grew larger. The referendum took place on 1 October 2017, despite being suspended by

8755-458: The protection of the right to its current scope, over all state and federal courts and legislatures, and the executive branches of the state and federal governments. Ancient and Imperial Chinese dynasties recognised the right to petition for all subjects. Commoners could petition the Emperor to remove local officials. The Huabiao , a ceremonial column common in traditional Chinese architecture,

8858-511: The results of the referendum, "the people's mandate for Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic", but proposed that in the following weeks the parliament "suspends the effect of the declaration of independence to engage in a dialogue to reach an agreed solution" with the Spanish Government. On 25 October 2017, after the Spanish government had threatened to suspend the Catalan autonomy through article 155 of

8961-540: The ruling. The protests grew larger, as more and more Catalans took to the streets. Some demonstrators attempted to storm buildings belonging to the Spanish Government and clashed with police forces. The Spanish Police announced that 51 protesters had been arrested. On 17 October, the pro-independence President of the Catalan Autonomous government, Quim Torra , called for an immediate halt to violence and disassociated himself from violent protesters, while at

9064-476: The same time calling for more peaceful protests. Nevertheless, the situation in Barcelona had evolved into open street battles between protesters and police, as both violent demonstrators attacked and provoked police forces, and police officers charged peaceful protesters for their proximity to violent ones. Several reports claim that the protests and subsequent riots had been infiltrated by Neo-Nazis who used

9167-526: The seed of repeated territorial conflicts within the State. Although since its loss there were claims to recover the Furs, the beginnings of separatism in Catalonia can be traced back to the mid–19th century. The Renaixença (cultural renaissance), which aimed at the revival of the Catalan language and Catalan traditions , led to the development of Catalan nationalism and a desire for self-government, through

9270-611: The statutes, internal workings, and road map to independence were approved. In April 2012, Carme Forcadell was chosen as president of the ANC, Carles Castellanos was elected vice president, Llorenç Sotorres was elected treasurer, and Jordi Martínez was elected secretary. On 8 June 2013, the ANC held elections in which Carme Forcadell was re-elected president. Jaume Marfany was elected vice president, replacing Carles Castellanos. Jordi Martínez remained as secretary and Oriol Sallas replaced Llorenç Sotorres as treasurer. In May 2015, Jordi Sanchez i Picanyol replaced Carme Forcadell as president of

9373-472: The student unions SEPC and FNEC. From around 2010, support for Catalan independence broadened from being the preserve of traditional left or far-left Catalan nationalism. Relevant examples are the liberal economists Xavier Sala-i-Martín and Ramon Tremosa Balcells (elected deputy for CiU in the European parliament in the 2009 election), the lawyer and current FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta or

9476-516: The three Baltic states of Estonian SSR , Latvian SSR , and Lithuanian SSR . Between 1.6 and 2 million citizens held their hands along these 400 km. After the demonstration, then Catalan President Artur Mas received Mrs. Forcadell at the Government Palace and committed to listen to the will of the people and to organising a consultation on the region's future. On 29 May 2014, the ANC, with other associations, presented at El Born ,

9579-482: The vote was taken. On 7 September, the Catalan parliament passed a " transition law ", to provide a legal framework pending the adoption of a new constitution, after similar protests and another walkout by opposition parties. The same day, 7 September, the Spanish Constitutional Court suspended the 6 September law while it considered an appeal from Mariano Rajoy, seeking a declaration that it

9682-529: The vote, notably Catcomu-Podem (7.5% of votes and 8 seats), which is opposed to independence but supports a legal referendum and denounced the suspension of autonomy. The excellent performance of the centre-right parties on both sides of the independence debate, Ciudadanos and Juntxcat, and the underperformance of all other parties (notably, left wing parties and the Partido Popular) were the most significant factor in this election result. In 2018 some of

9785-522: The war with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and shortly thereafter, Habsburg troops were evacuated from Italy and from Spain. This left the Catalan government isolated, but it remained loyal to Charles and unilaterally declared the war to Philip V and the Kingdom of France. After a 14-month siege, Barcelona capitulated to a Bourbon army on 11 September 1714. 11 September, the date of the fall of Barcelona,

9888-619: The world. The origin of the organization was the National Conference for the Catalan State (Conferència Nacional per l'Estat Propi), held on 30 April 2011 in Barcelona , in which 1,500 people participated. A Permanent Council and the interim secretariat were elected at this conference. The formal incorporation as a civic association was held on 10 March 2012, at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona . in which

9991-406: Was a nation. When the amended statute was put to a referendum on 18 June 2006, the ERC, in protest, called for a "no" vote. The statute was approved, but turnout was only 48.9%. At the subsequent election, the left-wing coalition was returned to power, this time under the leadership of José Montilla . In November 2005, Omnium Cultural organized a meeting of Catalan and Madrid intellectuals in

10094-437: Was a surge of popular protest against it. The Crida and others organised a huge rally against LOAPA in Barcelona on 14 March 1982. In March 1983, it was held to be ultra vires by the Spanish Constitutional Court. During the 1980s, the Crida was involved in nonviolent direct action , among other things campaigning for labelling in Catalan only, and targeting big companies. In 1983, the Crida's leader, Àngel Colom, left to join

10197-754: Was commemorated by Catalan nationalists from 1886, and in the 20th century it was chosen as the National Day of Catalonia . After the War of the Spanish Succession, based on the political position of the Count-Duke of Olivares and the absolutism of Philip V , the assimilation of the Crown of Aragon by the Castilian Crown through the Decrees of Nova planta was the first step in the creation of

10300-457: Was imprisoned on 16 October 2017 for his role in pro-independence protests during the days before the Catalan referendum . In January 2015, it claimed more than 80,000 members, of whom 40,132 were full-paying members (fee paying) and 39,946 were signed up as volunteer collaborators. The ANC has 10 regional subdivisions which are represented on the national board as well as professional groups for various private sectors, and 37 foreign branches around

10403-500: Was in breach of the Spanish constitution, meaning that the referendum could not legally go ahead on 1 October. The law was finally declared void on 17 October and is also illegal according to the Catalan Statutes of Autonomy which require a two-thirds majority in the Catalan parliament for any change to Catalonia's status. The national government seized ballot papers and cell phones, threatened to fine people who staffed

10506-682: Was postponed due to the strike. By the end of the day, just like the previous days, riots developed in the centre of Barcelona. Masked individuals blocked the boulevard close to the city's police headquarters in Via Laetana. Withdrawn to the vicinity of the Plaça Urquinaona , protesters erected barricades setting trash bins in fire and hurled rubble (debris from broken paving stones) and other solid objects at riot policemen. The riot units responded with non-lethal foam and rubber bullets, tear gas and smoke grenades. The Mossos used for

10609-522: Was slightly over 5 million euros, from which 3.4 million were dedicated to various advertising campaigns. Following the detection of 1.5 million euro in unsubstantiated income, in 2015 the ANC reached a deal with the tax authorities to pay 172,000 euros in pending VAT plus a 44,000 euros tax penalty. In a separate piece, in November 2015 the ANC was found responsible of unauthorized use and deficient custody of personal data for its activities, resulting in

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