Catalonia begins independence process from Spain

The Catalan government yesterday voted to declare independence from Spain by 2017.

A referendum was held last year on Catalonian independence which only managed to muster a 37% turnout but saw more than 80% vote in favour of independence. The Spanish government tried to block the referendum with the constitutional court in Madrid ruling that all Spaniards had a right to vote on matters of sovereignty.

The Spanish government will lodge an appeal against the Catalan parliament's decision to establish a treasury and social security system in preparation for independence to have it declared unconstitutional.

The constitutional court will of course declare the Catalan parliament's motion unconstitutional but the ruling of a court in what would be a foreign country after Catalonia becomes independent is unlikely to concern the Catalan nationalists.

The Spanish government intervened in the Scottish independence referendum campaign to tell the Scots that Spain would veto their EU membership application because Rajoy was concerned that it would embolden the Basques and Catalans. It doesn't look like they need much emboldening.