Choice of president puts pro-independence parties at a crossroads

“Spain continues to blackmail us by obliging us to elect a president and government who they like. Or otherwise, they'll continue with the coup d’etat of Article 155.” This is what Carles Puigdemont said on Tuesday evening, as a first reaction after the Catalan Parliament president delayed the debate to pick him as president, waiting for a final say from Constitutional Court on the matter. The decision won’t be taken until days from now, but judges are likely to rule against letting Puigdemont be sworn in as president. Meanwhile, pro-independence parties are very likely to face a crossroads, the lead-up to which has already created disagreements. 

The “Article 155” mentioned by Puigdemont is a measure of the Spanish Constitution, that is, the direct rule of Catalonia imposed from Madrid. Indeed, the suspension of Catalan self-rule will continue until a new president is sworn in. And the Spanish authorities do not seem to be willing to let the deposed Catalan president take office again. This has led to a juncture with three possible roads.