Spain’s Constitutional Court suspends initiative on Catalan independence

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spain’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday unanimously accepted an appeal filed by the Spanish government against a fresh independence initiative passed by the Catalan parliament.

The court’s admission means the initiative will be suspended during the review period.

The popular initiative suggesting the region should declare independence from Spain was greenlit by Catalan politicians earlier this year.

But despite Madrid's willingness to pass a controversial amnesty bill for those involved in the separatist movement, Justice Minister Felix Bolanos emphasized that the government does not support Catalonia holding a referendum or splitting from Spain.

Even so, the separatist discourse has been heating up ahead of the regional Catalan elections on May 12.

During a speech in the Spanish parliament on Monday, Catalan President Pere Aragones warned that an independence referendum is “inevitable.”

He has recently been arguing that he has found a way to hold a referendum that would be constitutional, despite opposition from the government.

Spain’s minority coalition government currently relies on the support of the Catalan separatists to pass any new legislation.

Negotiations have been ongoing, but the government’s move to block the fresh independence initiative has been heavily criticized.

“To us, it seems like the government hasn’t learned anything … trying to restrict and limit parliamentary debate will never be a solution,” said Patricia Plaja, the spokesperson of the Catalan government, according to La Vanguardia, accusing the Socialists of “overreacting against independence” for their own “electoral interest.”

Meanwhile, Carles Puigdemont, the former president of the region who has been self-exiled since his failed independence push in 2017, has also gotten back into the running to lead the region.

He is set to benefit from the new amnesty law, which would pave the way for his return. However, with the bill stuck in the Senate, it is unclear whether that would be possible before the elections or the swearing-in ceremony.

Puigdemont is now arguing for separatists to regroup to rally for independence once again.

Since the region’s illegal referendum and subsequent independence declaration in 2017, support for the cause has been dwindling.

Polls suggest the Catalan wing of Spain’s Socialist Party will win the most votes in the May elections, but together the separatist parties could also secure a majority.