CATALUNYA'S regional Parliament has approved its plan for secession from Spain despite votes against by the PP, socialists, centre-right independents Ciudadanos, and its left-wing opposite Podemos, or Catalunya Sí Que Es Pot.
But opposition votes were not necessary, since pro-independence parties Junts pel Sí and CUP together are a majority – although to govern as such they will need to agree on whether or not the former's number four and current president Artur Mas will continue in office.
The result of the debate has created a political frenzy in the rest of Spain, with most parties in the national government being dead against the move.
Spanish president Mariano Rajoy says it 'will not happen' and that by applying the law of the country, secession could not go ahead.
His polar opposite and main election rival Pedro Sánchez (PSOE, or socialists) said CUP and Junts pel Sí had 'betrayed the people of Catalunya', both those who do not want to live in a separate country and those who have been led to believe they do but who will have to face serious consequences.
These consequences would mean Catalunya losing its place in the European Union and the United Nations, trade barriers and increased import and export duties, and natives needing visas to visit other countries.
Mas and his party leader Raúl Romeva insist they will not end up in a position where residents in Catalunya 'need to have a different passport' or have to show it to leave the region, or future country.
The new regional Parliamentary resolution says Catalunya will no longer be subject to Spain's laws or to its Constitutional Court, and will cease to be 'subordinate' to the mother country.
Mas says the resolution in itself is 'a solemn declaration' of the 'start of a process' towards the creation of 'an independent Republic of Catalunya'.
He says the process will include three basic 'disconnection' laws being drafted in the next 30 days – one on the 'constitutional plan', one on Social Security and one on Treasury and taxation.
Later, laws on 'energy poverty' – residents who are unable to afford water and electricity – education, splitting away from the recently-effective law passed by former minister José Ignacio Wert, and on other issues such as 'taking in the maximum number of refugees' will be worked on.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com