Catalans back independence in vote

Barcelona dwellers gave a lukewarm thumbs-up to the idea of full autonomy from Spain in an informal, non-binding referendum organised by pro-independence activists.

Just over 91% said yes to the idea of full independence, however the turnout was a modest 21.4% in Spain’s second largest city, which is also the capital of Catalonia.

Foreign residents and 16-year-olds were allowed to vote, following in the footsteps of other regional cities, towns and villages that had previously held similar informal ballots.

Warm, sunny weather drew many people onto the streets of this thriving Mediterranean port city, but most seemed more interested in strolling and watching typical Catalan activities – like Sardana folk dances or the building of 10-man tall human towers – than in voting.

Still, organisers were upbeat about the result.

“We increased the response level, we didn’t expect this result,” said spokeswoman Elisenda Paluzie. Previous informal referendums in the region had achieved a 20% turnout.

Maria Garcia, a 79-year-old retiree, said she voted “yes” to independence to allow Catalans greater control of their own finances. “Spain’s central government takes more than it gives back,” she said.

Catalans are proud of their cultural identity – centred on the distinct Catalan language – and their thrifty, hardworking nature which accounts for around one-fifth of Spain’s economy.

The region’s nearly seven million people – Spain’s total population is 47 million – have long maintained they contribute more than they get credit for and that central governments based in Madrid have discriminated against them.

Along with the Basque region, Catalonia was heavily oppressed under the 1939-1975 dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, which made it a crime to speak Catalan and Basque languages in the interest of promoting Spain as a Madrid-run Castilian-speaking unified country.

Successive Spanish governments have gradually granted a large degree of self-rule to the regions since Franco’s death and the restoration of democracy.

Catalonia won even more self-rule in 2006 with a new autonomy charter, gaining control over judicial, infrastructure and other issues.

However, the Constitutional Court ruled in July 2010 that Catalonia could not legally call itself a nation, dealing a blow to a pro-independence campaign that had used “We decide, we are a nation” as its slogan.