2014 Catalan self-determination referendum
A non-binding Catalan self-determination referendum, also known as the Citizen Participation Process on the Political Future of Catalonia, was held on Sunday, 9 November 2014, to gauge support on the political future of Catalonia. While also referred to as "Catalan independence referendum", the vote was rebranded as a "participation process" by the Government of Catalonia, after a "non-referendum popular consultation" on the same topic and for the same date had been suspended by the Constitutional Court of Spain.
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Map of the Yes-Yes vote share by vegueria: 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% | ||
Website | participa2014.cat | |
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Results | ||
Politics of Catalonia |
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The ballot papers carried two questions: "Do you want Catalonia to become a State?" and "Do you want this State to be independent?" The second question could only be answered by those who had answered Yes to the first one. The Catalan government gave notice on 10 November, the day after voting, that 2,305,290 votes had been cast overall, but it did not provide a percentage figure for the turnout. Estimates for the turnout as published by the news media ranged from 37.0%, as given in The Economist and El País among others, to 41.6% as per the Catalan government's preliminary data. 80.8% of the cast votes supported the Yes–Yes option, 10.1% the Yes–No, 4.5% the No option.
Holding a referendum about the "political future of Catalonia" in 2014 was one of the items of the governance agreement ratified by Artur Mas from Convergence and Union (CiU) and Oriol Junqueras from Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) on 18 December 2012, that allowed Artur Mas to be voted in as President of the Generalitat of Catalonia for a second term.
On 19 September 2014, the Catalan parliament approved a call for a referendum on independence. Eight days later Artur Mas announced that the vote was to be held on 9 November 2014. The same day the Spanish government announced that it would block the effort by appealing to the Constitutional Court of Spain. The Court decided to hear the Spanish government's case on 29 September 2014, and provisionally suspended the vote. The Catalan Government subsequently announced the "temporary suspension" of the referendum campaign.
On 14 October, Artur Mas proposed a "process of citizen participation" as an alternative to the original referendum. The Spanish government announced that it would also block this effort by appealing to the Constitutional Court, which decided to hear the Spanish government's case on 4 November 2014, and provisionally suspended the vote. The Catalan Government, however, pushed forward with the "citizen participation" process, in defiance of the Constitutional Court, and voting took place as planned on 9 November 2014.