Catalan separatists won a crucial snap poll on Friday, plunging their region into further uncertainty after a failed independence bid rattled Europe and triggered Spain’s worst political crisis in decades. With turnout at a record high and 99.9 per cent of the ballots counted, the election handed a mandate back to the region's ousted separatist leaders, even after they campaigned from exile and behind bars. In a clear indicator of the huge gulf over independence afflicting Catalan society, anti-secessionist centrist party Ciudadanos had the biggest individual result with 37 of the 135 seats in the regional parliament.
“It’s a strange feeling. We won the majority of seats, but we lost in votes,” 26-year-old doctor and separatist supporter Fran Robles said after the results were announced. “It’s a good reflection of the reality that Catalonia is politically divided,” he added. However, unless the three pro-independence lists fail to clinch a deal to work together in the coming months, they will rule Catalonia with 70 of the 135 seats in parliament — two less than their previous tally of 72. For Catalans on both sides of the divide the day had been a moment of truth, following weeks of upheaval and protests unseen since democracy was reinstated following the death in 1975 of dictator Francisco Franco.
“This is a result which no one can dispute,” deposed leader Carles Puigdemont said from self-imposed exile in Belgium. Analysts noted that what the separatists’ victory will mean in practice remains a mystery. “It is unclear if Puigdemont will be able to be re-appointed ... as he will be arrested if he returns,” said Antonio Barroso, political analyst at Teneo research centre.
