What will happen in Catalonia after the referendum

On Sunday evening, Catalonia Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont announced in Barcelona that with the referendum, Catalonia has won “the right to an independent state”. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, on the other hand, stated in Madrid that there was no referendum in Catalonia.

The EU Commission strongly criticised the clashes and violence and urged respect for the rules of democracy, addressing both the Spanish prime minister and the Barcelona government.

Now many people who did not participate in the referendum are concerned about what would happen if the Catalonian government declares independence.

Could Catalon lose autonomy?

If that happens, the Spanish government can implement Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which allows the government in Madrid to do away with Catalonia, says Jesús Palomar, professor of politicology at Barcelona University. But for this Rajoy needs the approval of parliament, and the Podemos party and the Socialists will not vote for this step, Palomar thinks. However, he thinks the Spanish government can arrest Catalonian Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont or other members of the regional government.

Prof. Jesus Palomar

Fronts for a political consensus, for example through a financial solution have hardened and now this is no longer possible, politicalologist thinks. According to him, what can be done is to invite a middleman from outside, but perhaps the Spanish government will not accept that.

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According to politicologist Jesús Palomar Spanish police violated by its violence the fundamental rights of citizens yesterday, and he thinks they can address international institutions.

But EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said this conflict is Spain's internal issue. The coming days of the EU Parliament will hold a dispute on Catalonia.

Was the referendum a political account? Did images of bloody demonstrators spreading around the world come to the aid of separatists? According to politicalologist Jesús Palomar nobody had anticipated such a thing.

However, both a politicalologist and a taxi driver, Bennett, agree: the October 1st violence harshened society's polarization. Burnett's taxi driver says there's been a rift and that you're now “or separatist, or fascist”. / DW