Catalan declaration of independence

The Catalan declaration of independence (Catalan: Declaració d'independència de Catalunya) was a resolution that was passed by the Parliament of Catalonia on 27 October 2017. While the text proclaims the independence of Catalonia from Spain and the establishment of an independent Catalan Republic, the declaration itself did not receive recognition from the international community and it produced no legal effect.

The 2017 Catalan independence referendum took place on 1 October, followed by the 2017 Catalan general strike on 3 October. On 10 October, a document declaring Catalonia to be an independent republic was signed by the members of Catalonia's pro-independence parliamentary majority. The same document was voted for on 27 October by a majority of 70 out of 135 MPs in a plenary session. 10 MPs voted against the declaration and 53 MPs refused to be present during the vote, after the legal counsels of the Catalan Parliament advised that it could not take place as the law on which it was based had been suspended by the Spanish Constitutional Court. On the same day, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of Spain invoked Article 155 of the Constitution of Spain for the first time in history. This action dismissed Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet, and called for fresh Catalan elections on 21 December 2017. The Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría was assigned to be the acting president of Catalonia until the December elections.

On 6 September 2017 the Catalan Parliament, amid significant controversy, passed legislation for a binding referendum on Catalan independence. This decision, supported by Junts pel Sí and the CUP representatives, faced opposition from other parties, with Catalunya Sí que es Pot abstaining. The referendum law stated that if the majority voted 'yes,' independence would be declared two days post the official result announcement, irrespective of voter turnout.

Following this, the Catalan Parliament also ratified the Legal and Foundational Transition Law of the Catalan Republic. This law was set intending to be the primary legal framework for an independent Catalonia until a republic's constitution was established, contingent upon the success of the independence movement.

However, both these laws were promptly suspended by Spain's Constitutional Court following appeals from the Spanish Government. Despite this suspension, Carles Puigdemont, the President of the Government of Catalonia, disregarded the court's decision and maintained the validity of these laws.

The suspended referendum went ahead on 1 October 2017, without legal backing. The Catalan government reported a 90% vote in favor of independence, with a 43% turnout. Independence opponents boycotted the referendum, deeming it illegal.

The referendum's legitimacy was widely disputed due to various procedural anomalies and the absence of validation by an independent entity. Reported irregularities included multiple voting instances, participation of non-citizens, transportation of unsealed ballot boxes, and last-minute changes to voting regulations. The Spanish government criticized these changes, including the acceptance of a universal census allowing voting at any center, and the use of unofficial ballots and envelope-less votes. It was also claimed by the government that this referendum was unconstitutional due to intending to attack the "unity of Spain" (reflected in article 2 of the Constitution of Spain).

Neither the Spanish Government nor the European Union acknowledged the referendum's validity, nor did any country recognize the proclaimed "Catalan Republic." An international observers' mission concluded the referendum failed to meet global standards. Additionally, a pre-referendum Metroscopia survey indicated that 61% of Catalans believed the referendum would not hold international legitimacy.