Catalan Opposition Party Votes to Leave Coalition Government Over Independence Spat

MADRID, (Sputnik) - Catalan opposition party Together for Catalonia (Junts per Catalunya), which has been part of the parliament of the autonomous community, decided to break the coalition with the ruling party, Republican Left of Catalonia (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya), according to the voting results revealed on Friday.

When asked if Together for Catalonia should continue to be part of the current Catalan government, 55.73% of the respondents voted "no." Nearly 80% of party members took part in the voting.

Together for Catalonia secretary-general Jordi Turull said the decision to leave the government was made because agreements signed with the ruling party a year and a half ago were not being implemented.

"We want Catalonia to continue to move towards independence. Let no one have illusions that the independence movement is waning," Turull said.

The government crisis in Catalonia began on September 27, when the spokesman for Together for Catalonia, Albert Batet, announced the possibility of a confidence vote in the leader of the Republican Left of Catalonia, Pere Aragones. This led to the latter dismissing the vice-president of the autonomous community, Jordi Puignero, from his post due to what he said was the loss of confidence in the deputy, who did not inform Aragones in advance about the rift.

The Catalan parliament is currently grappling with the implementation of the coalition government agreement adopted in 2021, with the opposition, in particular, Together for Catalonia, demanding a stronger stance on the issues of self-determination of the autonomous community, unity with Madrid, and amnesty for political prisoners.

In the October 2017 referendum, which Madrid called illegal, over 90% of voters supported Catalonia's independence. The Spanish authorities refused to recognize the results of the vote, the turnout for which fell below 50%. After that, the government imposed direct rule in the autonomous community and dissolved the parliament, while a number of members of the generality left the country.