Catalonia, an autonomous region in the northwest part of Spain, has scheduled a non-binding referendum in November 2014. The exercise is meant to assess the pulse of Catalonians about the region’s bid for independence, a movement which has gathered steam in recent years and has caused considerable tension between Catalonia and the central Spanish government in Madrid.
The referendum will be asking voters the question: “Do you want Catalonia to become a State?” and “In case of an affirmative response, do you want this State to be independent?”
Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. The region has its own culture quite apart from the rest of Spain, a fact that has fuelled the debate for independence. The Spanish government has been firm in its stand of not allowing the independence bid to prosper, with the Parliament, in fact, recently voting to disallow the said referendum.
International opinion about the issue has been mixed. The United States and the United Kingdom both view the issue as an internal matter between Spain and Catalonia, even as they recognize the unique culture and traditions of the region.
The European Union, on the other hand, has declared that if Catalonia seceded from Spain it would automatically leave the EU.
The UN has urged sobriety amid the raging debate saying “all the issues between the countries and among the countries should be resolved through peaceful means, through dialogue, respecting the genuine aspirations of the people concerned.”
Yet some states are more supportive, with Lithuania saying “Each country must find its own path and has the right to self-determination.” Latvia, for its part, has said “If there is a clear will of the people and a clear demand for a referendum, it is absolutely worth it to pay attention and look at options on how to tackle it”.
The November 9 referendum, although non-binding, is seen by political observers as a critical step towards self-determination for Catalonia.
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