Secession among the separatists.
After two days of voting, the activists of Together for Catalonia (Junts), the independence party of Carles Puigdemont, voted 55.73% for the exit of their party from the regional government of Catalonia, chaired by the other major separatist formation, ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia).
According to the provisional results of this consultation published on Friday, 42.39% voted on the contrary to remain in this government.
ERC and Junts, who have governed Catalonia together for six years, are more divided than ever on the strategy to follow to achieve independence.
Support from the central government of Pedro Sanchez, ERC advocates dialogue with Madrid while Junts defends a more radical line.
This break in the independence coalition will not, however, lead to the fall of the regional government, at least in the short term.
Victory for Puigdemont
“We will not abandon the citizens in complicated times like this, which is why we must continue to govern,” assured regional president Pere Aragonès (ERC) on Friday evening, who will now have to govern in a minority.
From Prague, where he was attending the summit of leaders of the EU and other countries of the continent, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appealed for "stability" in this "complex period" for Catalonia.
The vote by Junts activists in favor of leaving the Catalan government appears to be a personal victory for Carles Puigdemont, who still retains great influence in the formation from Belgium where he fled in 2017 to escape prosecution from Spanish justice.
At the head of the Catalan government, he had then tried to organize a referendum of self-determination, despite its prohibition by justice, before the local parliament unilaterally declared the independence of the region.
World
Catalonia: The separatist Carles Puigdemont leaves the presidency of his party
World
Spain: The head of the Catalan police, figure of the 2017 crisis, removed from office
World
Spain
Carles Puigdemont
Catalonia
Madrid