April 14, 2021 last updated 8:32 ET
Posters show candidates for Catalonia’s regional election, in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 9, 2021 (AP photo by Emilio Morenatti).
A Hollow Election Victory for Catalonia’s Separatists
MADRID—Last month’s election in Catalonia underlined the deep and longstanding divisions in the region over whether to seek independence from the rest of Spain. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist Party may have won the most votes, but separatist parties together won the most seats in the regional Parliament and are poised to form a government. However, the record-low voter turnout of just over 53 percent raises questions about how much of a mandate the new Catalan government will have.