A non-binding Catalan self-determination referendum, also known as the Citizen Participation Process on the Political Future of Catalonia, was held on Sunday, 9 November 2014, to gauge support on the political future of Catalonia. While also referred to as "Catalan independence referendum", the vote was rebranded as a "participation process" by the Government of Catalonia, after a "non-referendum popular consultation" on the same topic and for the same date had been suspended by the Constitutional Court of Spain.
The ballot papers carried two questions: "Do you want Catalonia to become a State?" and "Do you want this State to be independent?" The second question could only be answered by those who had answered Yes to the first one. The Catalan government gave notice on 10 November, the day after voting, that 2,305,290 votes had been cast overall, but it did not provide a percentage figure for the turnout. Estimates for the turnout as published by the news media ranged from 37.0%, as given in The Economist and El País among others, to 41.6% as per the Catalan government's preliminary data. 80.8% of the cast votes supported the Yes–Yes option, 10.1% the Yes–No, 4.5% the No option.
Holding a referendum about the "political future of Catalonia" in 2014 was one of the items of the governance agreement ratified by Artur Mas from Convergence and Union (CiU) and Oriol Junqueras from Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) on 18 December 2012, that allowed Artur Mas to be voted in as President of the Generalitat of Catalonia for a second term.
On 19 September 2014, the Catalan parliament approved a call for a referendum on independence. Eight days later Artur Mas announced that the vote was to be held on 9 November 2014. The same day the Spanish government announced that it would block the effort by appealing to the Constitutional Court of Spain. The Court decided to hear the Spanish government's case on 29 September 2014, and provisionally suspended the vote. The Catalan Government subsequently announced the "temporary suspension" of the referendum campaign.
On 14 October, Artur Mas proposed a "process of citizen participation" as an alternative to the original referendum. The Spanish government announced that it would also block this effort by appealing to the Constitutional Court, which decided to hear the Spanish government's case on 4 November 2014, and provisionally suspended the vote. The Catalan Government, however, pushed forward with the "citizen participation" process, in defiance of the Constitutional Court, and voting took place as planned on 9 November 2014.
Background
2009–2012
Unofficial Catalan independence referendums
In 2009 and 2011 unofficial referendums took place in hundreds of Catalan towns as one of the many actions included in the independentist-wing-parties' platforms; in the referendums the pro-independence option won an overwhelming majority of the votes cast, although the participation rate was very low.
Demonstrations in Barcelona
In 2010 and 2012 different demonstrations took place in Barcelona. The first one took place on 10 July 2010. It featured a Catalan regionalist ideological leadership. The second one on 11 September 2012 was openly in favor of Catalan independence and had as a slogan "Catalonia, next state in Europe". As a consequence of this second demonstration, the Rt. Hon. Artur Mas, President of the Generalitat of Catalonia at that time, called a snap election, and the "Agreement for Freedom" was negotiated between Artur Mas (CiU "Conservativel local party") and Oriol Junqueras (ERC, Republican and socialistic-style left party).
Free Catalan Territories
Also, during 2012, dozens of Catalan towns declared themselves Free Catalan Territory stating that "the Spanish legislation and regulations have effect only in Spain, so this town will wait for new legislation and regulation from the Catalan Government and the Parliament of Catalonia."
Resolution of the Catalan Parliament for Holding an Independence Referendum
The Catalan independence referendum is planned to take place during the tenth legislature of the Parliament of Catalonia. According to a resolution adopted by the Parliament of Catalonia on 27 September 2012:
The Parliament of Catalonia confirms the need for the people of Catalonia to be able to freely and democratically determine their collective future and urges the government to hold a referendum during the following legislature.
The resolution was adopted after the general policy debate. It received 84 favourable votes, 21 against and 25 abstentions. The President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Artur Mas, declared in a speech to Parliament that it was time for the people of Catalonia to exercise the right of self-determination.
2013
Declaration of Sovereignty
On 23 January 2013 the Parliament of Catalonia adopted by 85 favourable votes, 41 against, and 2 abstentions the "Declaration of Sovereignty and of the Right to Decide of the Catalan People". It states that "The people of Catalonia have – by reason of democratic legitimacy – the character of a sovereign political and legal entity." Five Socialist MPs did not vote. It is based on the following principles: sovereignty, democratic legitimacy, transparency, dialogue, social cohesion, Europeanism, legality, role of the Catalan Parliament and participation.
In accordance with the democratically expressed will of the majority of the Catalan public, the Parliament of Catalonia initiates a process to bring to promote the right of the citizens of Catalonia to collectively decide their political future.
The political parties Convergence and Union (CiU) (50 yes), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) (21 yes) and Initiative for Catalonia Greens-United and Alternative Left (ICV-EUiA) (13 yes) totally supported the statement of sovereignty. On the other hand, the People's Party of Catalonia (PPC) (19 no) and Citizens – Party of the Citizenry (C's) (9 no) totally opposed the proposal. 15 members of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) voted against; 5 did not vote despite being present in the Chamber, thus disobeying the orders of the party whips to vote against the proposal. Finally, the Popular Unity Candidature (CUP) gave a "critical yes", with 1 vote in favour and 2 abstentions.
On 8 May 2013 this purely political declaration was provisionally suspended by the Constitutional Court of Spain.
Date and wording
On 12 December 2013, the Government of Catalonia announced that a deal between Catalan nationalist parties had set the date and wording for the referendum on independence. The date would be 9 November 2014 and that it will contain a question with two sections: "Do you want Catalonia to become a State?" and "In case of an affirmative response, do you want this State to be independent?".
The date was chosen as it would allow for discussions with the Spanish Government in order "to stage the consultation legally", but the Spanish Government stated shortly thereafter its intention to block the referendum, stating: "Such a poll will not be held." Mariano Rajoy, Spanish Prime Minister, said that the referendum would be considered illegal and that "any discussion or debate on this is out of the question".
Ballot questions
According to the consultation decree, "in the consultation there is a first question followed successively by a second question, and they are worded as follows: a) Do you want Catalonia to become a State? (Yes/No); If so: b) Do you want this State to be independent? (Yes/No). You can only answer the question under Letter b) in the event of having answered "Yes" to the question under Letter a)." The "participation process" that has replaced the "non-referendum consultation" maintains the same two questions.
Eligibility
The participation process does not have an official electorate. The vote has been called by the Catalan government for people who are at least 16 years of age on 9 November 2014 and who meet one of the following criteria:
- Spanish citizens whose national identity card states they are resident in Catalonia;
- Spanish citizens who live outside of Spain and are registered as "Catalans abroad" or "Spaniards abroad" linked to a Catalonia municipality;
- Foreign nationals who are legally residing in Catalonia;
Catalan people who are resident in other Spanish regions, and Spanish citizens who live in Catalonia but are not resident there, cannot vote.
Estimates of the number of people eligible to vote range between 5.4 million and 6.2 million.
Legality
On 25 March 2014, the Spanish Constitutional Court finally ruled that the sovereignty part of the "Declaration of Sovereignty and of the Right to Decide of the Catalan People" was "unconstitutional and null", and therefore did not allow a self-determination referendum to be held in Catalonia. It however allows the part of the right to decide (allows to check the Catalan people's opinion by a legal consultation). The Catalan government declared that this ruling would "have no effect on the process".
On 8 April 2014, the Spanish Congress rejected the Catalan parliament's request to give it the power to organize the self-determination referendum. The bill was voted down 299 (PP, PSOE, UPyD, UPN and Foro Asturias) to 47 (CiU, Izquierda Unida, PNV, BNG, Amaiur, ERC, Compromís and Geroa Bai), with one abstention (NC-CC).
Catalan government's legal initiatives
On 19 September 2014 the Parliament of Catalonia approved by 106 favourable votes, 28 against, the Consultation law. According to pro-consultation parties, this law will provide the legal basis for the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Artur Mas, to hold the consultation (non-binding self-determination referendum) on independence from Spain on 9 November.
On 27 September 2014, Catalan President Artur Mas signed a decree calling for a consultation on independence. On 29 September 2014, the Spanish Constitutional Court provisionally suspended the vote. The Catalan Government subsequently announced the "temporary suspension" of the referendum campaign.
On 14 October, the Catalan President proposes a "process of citizen participation" as an alternative for the original referendum The Spanish government announced that it would block the effort by appealing to the Spanish Constitutional Court, which decided to hear the Spanish government case on 4 November 2014, which provisionally suspended the vote. The Catalan Government announced they would push forward with the vote, in defiance of the Constitutional Court of Spain. On 5 November, Catalan representatives complained against the Spanish Government to international organizations for blocking self-determination.
Positions
Catalonia
Position of the parties with parliamentary representation in Catalonia (sorted by votes):
- CiU, liberal and Catalan nationalist coalition of CDC (37 seats) and UDC (13 seats): the goal to achieve a sovereign state in the European framework was included in their election manifesto, Catalunya 2020. This is an aim shared by a majority within the coalition and by CDC, including the party president Artur Mas. However some leaders of UDC such as Josep Antoni Duran Lleida have had an ambiguous position and have defended a confederal model. For the 9N consultation, CDC supports the "yes-yes" to independence whereas UDC supports the "yes" to the first question but has given liberty to its members on how to vote on the second question.
- ERC, social democratic and pro Catalan independence party (21 seats): ERC clearly supports Catalonia having its own State within the European Union framework, and for that reason they have signed the pact with CiU since 2012.
- PSC, social democratic party federated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (20 seats): in the words of their leader, the PSC is against independence, but favours the holding of a legal referendum agreed with the Spanish Government. This is why it decided to abstain in all parliamentary votes dealing with the right to decide. Despite that, some notable PSC leaders (like Montserrat Tura and Joaquim Nadal) said they would vote for independence in a referendum. Miquel Iceta, leader of the PSC from 2014 to 2021, had declared that he would not vote in the participation process.
- PPC, the Catalan affiliate of the Spanish People's Party (19 seats): the PP believe that the referendum is illegal, they defend the Spanish Constitutional framework and are against secession. They also claim that the independence of Catalonia would give rise to a number of serious social and economic problems, such as expulsion from the Eurozone. The PP would not vote in the participation process.
- ICV-EUiA ecosocialist and Catalan nationalist coalition (ICV hold 10 seats and EUiA hold 3): ICV, an eco-socialist group, defends the right to self-determination, but party leaders have never responded as to how they would vote in a referendum and say they are a union of federalists and separatists. Joan Herrera, current leader of ICV, has declared he will not vote in the participation process.
- C's, a neoliberal party, which supports Catalan-Spanish bilingualism, (9 seats): C's is strongly positioned against the self-determination referendum unless it is previously approved by the Spanish parliament. Its leadership said that C's would not vote in the participation process.
- CUP, anti capitalist, socialist and pro-independence party (3 seats): the CUP is in favour of the independence of Catalonia, as part of the emancipation of all the "Catalan Countries" (territories where Catalan is spoken), and seeks the formation of a socialist country outside the European Union.
Rest of Spain
The Spanish Government "will not allow" and "will not negotiate" on Catalonia's self-determination vote.
Position of the parties with parliamentary representation in the Parliament of Spain (sorted by seats):