Heute entscheiden die Katalonier über eine neue Regionalregierung. Sollten die Sezessionisten die absolute Mehrheit erreichen wird es defintiv zu einer Abstimmung über die Abspaltung von Spanien kommen.
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Catalonians are voting in the new parliamentary elections that could be the first step towards a referendum on independence from Spain. The incumbent president has called for a snap election, and promised to hold a vote on secession if reelected.
*Catalonians cite financial troubles as one of the main reasons for wanting to secede from Spain.
Currently, Catalonia is paying Madrid around 16 billion euro a year more in taxes than it gets back from the central government, which has insisted that public services endure austerity cuts. These measures are in turn blamed as a cause of the Catalonia region's deficit and debt issues.
Artur Mas, president and leader of the center-right Convergence and Union Party (CIU) has called for an early election in September after Barcelona and Madrid failed to reach agreement on a new tax scheme.