<p>After a tense debate that saw opposition politicians storm out of the room, the Catalan Parliament passed a motion to declare independence from Spain. The final vote was 70-10 with 2 abstentions. ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Today we will found a new country based on these principles, and dignity. We&rsquo;re doing it,&rdquo; said Marta Rovira of the Together for Yes coalition. ;</p>
<p>Iné;s Arrimadas, one of the politicians who refused to participate, called the vote &ldquo;an attack on the fundamental values of the European Union.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>Prime Minister Rajoy responded to the vote with a tweet urging Spaniards to be &ldquo;calm&rdquo; and assuring them that &ldquo;the rule of law will restore legality to Catalonia.&rdquo; ; ;</p>
<p>Catalonia&rsquo;s declaration of independence follows a whirlwind of events that began on October 1st when Catalonia held a referendum on independence that had previously been ruled illegal by the Spanish government. ;Voter turnout was low, but 90% of participants chose independence.</p>
<p>Separatist leader Carles Puigdemont declared the results of the illegal referendum binding, and sought to negotiate with Madrid before moving forward with independence. ; ;</p>
<p>Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy refused all requests to negotiate, instead ;threatening to invoke Article 155 of the nation&rsquo;s constitution &ndash; a move that ;would give Madrid the power to seize control of Catalonia. ;</p>
<p>Almost simultaneous with Catalonia&#8217;s declaration of independence comes Senate approval for imposing direct rule in Catalonia. &ldquo;In my opinion, there is no alternative,&rdquo; said PM Rajoy, criticizing the separatists&rsquo; actions as a &ldquo;mockery of democracy.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>&ldquo;What is being debated today is whether Spain, faced with a matter that affects its stability, its international image, the integrity of its territory, and the welfare of its people, has the right &#8211; or not &#8211; to defend itself by invoking the constitution and the laws,&rdquo; Rajoy told lawmakers ahead of the Senate vote. &ldquo;What threatens Catalonia is not Article 155, but the attitude of the Catalan government.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:</strong> The whole world is watching for a variety of reasons. ; A successful bid for independence by Catalonia, will inspire an avalanche of secession bids that will fracture the EU into a hundred pieces and inspire border wars in much of the world.</p>
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