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MEPs from different groups and ideological sensibilities have reacted to President Mas’ summons for the 9-N symbolic vote on independence. Conservative MEP Ian Duncan, who was invited as an international observer to the 9-N consultation, considered “illogical and irrational” the Spanish government’s attitude regarding Catalonia’s push for independence and defined the 9-N as “an attempt to be democratic”. Duncan stated that Catalonia’s push for independence “is troubling any democrat” and added that the future of a nation “can’t be settled in a courtroom”. Lithuanian Liberal MEP Petras Austrevicious appealed for an “effective dialogue” between Barcelona and Madrid and the European Democrats’ Vice-President, Belgian Kathleen van Brempt, pointed to “political solutions” rather than “legal procedures” to solve the situation in Catalonia.  

196,062 Catalans abroad are registered to vote but only 14,781 could effectively do so in the 27-S Catalan elections. Too many agents involved in a complex and long process deprived them of exercising their democratic right. “The Spanish State can’t ignore such a violation of a basic and fundamental right” stated the Catalan Minister for Public Administration, Meritxell Borràs, who lamented that nearly “7,000 votes that were sent on time couldn’t reach their destination”. On Wednesday the ballots that did arrive in Catalonia on time showed 63% of Catalans living abroad voted in support of independence. Although cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ (‘Together for Yes’) was the most voted, with 7,894 votes, it only maintains its 62 seats in the Catalan Parliament and still requires radical left pro-independence CUP in order to instate Mas as President, which the radical party refuses to do. 

Christian Democrat Unió, the smaller party within the former coalition CiU, doesn’t want to be counted as anti-independence. “Please, do not put Unió and ‘Catalunya Sí que es Pot’ [‘Catalonia Yes we Can’] in the ‘no’ block” asked Unió MEP Francesc Gambús. His demand was sent by email to the 751 MEPs as a response to Spanish conservative UPyD’s leader in Brussels, Maite Pagazartundua, who claimed that the 27-S results were clearly against independence. “We don’t support independence in the same way as the pro-independence candidacies do” he clarified “but we can’t be counted in the same block as the People’s Party PP, the Spanish Socialist Party PSOE and Anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans either” he said “and you know it”, he added, addressing Pagazartundua.

Pro-independence parties have won an overall majority in the Catalan election. The main pro-independence coalition, ‘Junts pel Sí’ (‘Together for Yes’) obtained 39.6% of vote and won 62, while the far-left pro-independence CUP secured 10 members of parliament. Together, they have an overall majority of 72 MPs in the 135-seats Catalan Parliament. President Mas, who ran fourth on the list, highlighted the plebiscitary nature of the elections and demanded “respect” for “the victory of Catalonia, the victory of yes”. Turnout in the election has hit a record high, with 77.4%.

Pro-independence parties have “achieved” their goal in “winning 72 of the 135” seats in the Catalan Parliament, stated an editorial in the Financial Times published this Tuesday. The British business daily insisted that once Spain has held national elections at the end of this year, a new government in Madrid needs to enter into talks with President Mas, to “find a third way between independence and the status quo”. However, the editorial is titled “Catalonia needs to step back from the brink”, since it puts forward the idea that Mas has “less legitimacy to implement his plan” considering that the percentage of voters who supported a clear ‘yes’ for independence was less than 50%.

The president of ‘Societat Civil Catalana’ (‘Catalan Civil Society’), Josep Ramon Bosch, confirmed that he will definitely resign after two years in the position. Although he expressed his intention several months ago, the decision was left pending “for political reasons” until this Monday and was finally announced on the day after the 27-S elections. Bosch’s decision arrives after a scandal that linked him with a Facebook profile from which many pro-independence parties and personalities received offensive messages and threats. Bosch denied such accusations and stated that he left office due to “personal and professional reasons”. Together with Bosch, ‘Societat Civil Catalana’ vice-presidents José Rosiñol and Susan Beltrán also expressed their will to step down.  

Current Catalan President Artur Mas has been called to the court on the 15th of October for authorising and co-organising the 9-N symbolic referendum on independence that took place in 2014. Catalonia’s Supreme Court (TSJC), which pends on Spanish Administration of Justice, also confirmed the prosecution of former Vice-President Joana Ortega and Catalan Minister of Education Irene Rigau for the same charges. The official prosecution of Artur Mas and 2 other members of the Executive arrives two days after the 27-S elections and takes the current political conflict a level higher. The Catalan Government considered the TSJC decision a “democratic anomaly” and described it as a “political judgment”.

The winning coalition in the 27-S elections, pro-independence unitary list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ insisted that their candidate to run for President of the Catalan Government is Artur Mas. Mas himself stated that what matters now “is the roadmap”and not who is the candidate for President. He addressed this warning to radical left pro-independence CUP, which would bring an absolute majority for pro-independence forces in the Parliament if they join ‘Junts Pel Sí’ but whom refuse to instate Artur Mas as Catalan President. “Now we have a shared responsibility” assured Mas and highlighted that “the priority” was to know if the 72 MPS who favour independence would be able to work together.

Pro-independence unitary list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ together with left wing pro-independence CUP obtain absolute majority, with 50% of the vote counted.  ‘Junts Pel Sí’ obtains 62 MPs, anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans 25 MPs, experiencing the highest growth and becoming second force in the parliament. Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) loses almost half of its seats and gets 11 MPs, while CUP and Conservative People’s Party (PP) are ties with 10 MPs.

Pro-independence unitary list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ is set to win the elections and obtain 63 to 66 MP’s, according to the exit poll designed by Catalan Television TV3. Together with left wing pro-independence CUP, which would obtain between 11 and 13 MP’s, the parties would represent a pro-independence absolute majority in the Catalan Parliament. Anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans would experience a huge increase and become the second force in the Parliament, with approximately 19-21 MP’s. 

The number of lists running for the 27-S Catalan elections is lower than the last time around in 2012; dropping from 79 candidacies to the 40 lists running this year. Moreover, there are many new candidacies that have been designed for the occasion according to the historic nature of the elections that will function as a ‘de facto’ plebiscite on independence. For the first time ever, new coalitions have been made and civil society organisations have entered the fray.

Christian-Democrat Unió, the smaller party within the former governing coalition CiU, claims to be the alternative to the extreme positions that “have taken over Catalan politics”. “We regret that this campaign has been based on two extreme positions: the status quo and a breakaway” stated Unió’s Secretary General and now candidate for President in the upcoming 27-S elections, Ramon Espadaler. “We believe there’s a central position and that is reforming Spain’s Constitution” he said at a press conference at CNA headquarters. Unió’s differences with liberal party CDC regarding Catalonia’s push for independence caused the definitive separation of CiU after a 37-year alliance. “Now the party has its own voice” he emphasised. 

The cross-party ‘Junts Pel Sí’ (‘Together for Yes’) is a unitary list which gathers together, for the first time in history, members of Catalan civil society, such as the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural, and politicians from different ideological backgrounds that support independence. “What we are doing here is very strange but we are going through a very strange moment, extraordinary”, stated former Member of the European Parliament Raül Romeva, who tops the unitary list. “We have tried everything” to hold a self-determination vote, but using the parliamentary elections “is the last resort”, stated Catalan President Artur Mas, who comes fourth on the list.Their plan is to declare independence within 18 months of the 27-S elections “if the majority is there”, which many polls forecast it will be. “This is for real, we are ready to do it” stated Romeva and added that they are “aware of the risks but also very aware of the enormous opportunities”. 

The European Commission attributed to a “human mistake” the differences between the two answers, one in English and one in Spanish, to the same parliamentarian question regarding Catalonia’s push for independence. “We are an organisation of 35,000 people. It is normal that human mistakes do happen” stated EC spokeswoman Mina Andreeva and said that the only assertive version was the English one. “The Commission is an independent authority. Nobody can manipulate it” she emphasised, insisting that the EC’s position in respect to a hypothetical independent territory in the EU has always been clear and the same “since 2012”. Three Catalan MEP’s have sent a joint letter to EC president Jean-Claude Juncker urging him to open a full investigation “to clarify this political scandal”