2017 Catalan independence referendum facts for kids
The 2017 Catalan independence referendum was a special vote held in Catalonia, a region in Spain. It happened on October 1, 2017. In this vote, people were asked if they wanted Catalonia to become an independent country.
Some political groups did not want Catalonia to become independent. They decided not to take part in the vote. This is called a boycott.
The Spanish government and its top court said the vote was against the rules of the Spanish constitution. The Constitutional Court of Spain stopped the vote on September 7, 2017. However, the government of Catalonia said the court's order was not right. Many towns and cities in Catalonia supported their government. This disagreement led to a big political problem in Spain in 2017.
The main government of Spain did not want Catalonia to be independent. But the government of Catalonia believed it had the right to hold the vote. Other countries around the world did not officially support Catalonia's independence plan.
Contents
What is a Referendum?
A referendum is a type of vote where all the people in a country or region can say "yes" or "no" to a specific question. In this case, the question was about Catalonia becoming independent. It's a way for people to make a big decision together.
Why Did Catalonia Want to Vote?
Catalonia is a region in northeastern Spain. It has its own language, culture, and history. Many people in Catalonia feel they are different from the rest of Spain. They wanted to have their own country. This idea of becoming independent is called the "independence movement."
The Spanish Government's View
The Spanish government believed that all of Spain should stay together. They said that the Spanish constitution does not allow any part of Spain to break away. Because of this, they saw the referendum as illegal. They wanted to keep Spain united.
The Catalan Government's View
The government of Catalonia believed that people in Catalonia should have the right to decide their own future. They felt that holding a vote was a democratic way to find out what people wanted. They thought it was their right to ask the people if they wanted independence.
What Happened on Voting Day?
On October 1, 2017, many people went to vote in Catalonia. Even though the Spanish court had stopped the vote, polling stations opened. There were long lines of people waiting to cast their ballots. The ballot paper asked a simple question: "Do you want Catalonia to be an independent state in the form of a republic?"
After the Referendum
After the vote, the situation remained difficult. The Spanish government did not accept the results of the referendum. The Catalan government continued to push for independence. This led to more disagreements and protests in the region.
Images for kids
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Pro-independence flags in Barcelona
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Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and 700 mayors of Catalonia meeting to prepare for the referendum, 16 September 2017
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Final meeting of the campaign for the referendum in front of Palau Nacional, 29 September 2017
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Ballot paper the Catalan government planned to use, in Catalan, Castilian Spanish and Aranese Occitan, Catalonia's three official languages
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Sinn Féin representatives meeting Catalan President Carles Puigdemont before the referendum.
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Demonstration in Bilbao showing support for the Catalan referendum, 16 September 2017
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Lines of voters at polling stations for the referendum
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A person voting in Guinardó, Barcelona
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2017 Catalan general strike against police actions
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Demonstration against Catalan independence in Barcelona on 8 October 2017
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Spanish National Police entering Institut Pau Claris polling station on 1 October 2017
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Katalanisches Tryptichon, painted by Matthias Laurenz Gräff
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A mural remembering October 1st in Sant Andreu, Barcelona. Votes: 4009 Yes, 292 No, 123 blank, 28 null
See also
In Spanish: Referéndum de independencia de Cataluña de 2017 para niños
