October 27th, 2017. Exactly twenty-six minutes past three in the afternoon. The speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Carme Forcadell, proclaims that the chamber has voted to "constitute the Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign state". The result of the vote was 70 votes in favour, 10 against and two abstentions. A total of 53 MPs had abandoned the chamber without exercising their right to vote. With the proclamation of this result and the singing of the Catalan national anthem Els Segadors, Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó, as 130th president of Catalonia's historic government institution the Generalitat, had fulfilled the commitment he had assumed in January 2016 when he accepted Catalonia's highest office: the challenge of moving the country from its "post-autonomous" status to independence. For some, this was a step up to liberty and to full independence; for others, it was a leap into the void. The next few days will be key to learning whether the Government can consolidate its position and how the country will respond. How the transition will be made from the dream longed for by many people to a situation of normality.
Undoubtedly, it will not be easy. Among other reasons, because on the very same Friday afternoon, the Spanish government armed its defence in article 155 of the Constitution, acquiring exceptional powers thanks to the favourable vote of the Senate; and then, hours later, it took two weighty decisions: dismissing the Catalan president, the vice president and the rest of the government; and dissolving Parliament and calling Catalan autonomous elections for December 21st. Intending to decapitating the Catalan institutions, implement a crackdown and defeat the independence movement at the ballot box. But things are not that simple: how will Puigdemont, Junqueras and the rest of their government respond? Will they attempt to blockade themselves in their offices on Monday? Will they constitute themselves as the legitimate government even if they cannot enter the Generalitat palace - the seat of the government - and the ministry buildings? And as well: will the independence parties even present candidates for these elections? There is no pre-established decision on this since the election announcement has taken everybody by surprise. However, many affirm that they should not contest the elections.
With Parliament dissolved, it will also be necessary to see if Catalonia's Assembly of Elected Officials, a body created to anticipate a possibility such as the hijacking of the Catalan institutions, will become a key player on this new stage. But the government has decided to ease off after the vertiginous pace of the last few days. Thus, Friday was a day of festive celebration in many Catalan towns, a breather after the intense political demands of these days and weeks. Although the new Catalan Republic had not received any international support, the Government was relaxed and the instruction was: keep calm. So much so, that president Puigdemont, after a long meeting with ministers and the pro-independence groups returned as he would on any normal day to his home in Girona. His ministers did the same. Back home for some rest.
It will be from Monday on that the Public Prosecutor's Office plans to act against the Government and the Catalan Parliament's presiding Bureau. On the public prosecutor's desk is an indictment listing several charges. Among others, that of rebellion, with sentences of up to 30 years' imprisonment. The Spanish state has already said that it will not stop. It remains to be seen whether the Catalan citizenry will respond to this, and, if so, how. The pro-independence groups have just given a clue: "The next week will be very important and it is necessary to recover our strength".
The son of the cake-maker in the village of Amer, a stubborn, unpredictable and fearless man, has fulfilled his dream. He has at times said he would have liked to have been an astronaut. Perhaps his career would have rocketed. But for a person as convinced about independence as he is, there would surely be nothing as satisfying as touching the sky. And this he could only achieve as president of Catalonia.