The Catalan government and Barcelona City Council have reached an agreement about the 1st October independence referendum, so that people will be able to vote in the Catalan capital. The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has announced that a solution has been found according to which people in Barcelona will be able to vote without "putting at risk" either the institution of the City Council or the "public servants".
Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has been pleased by the pact, and described it as "a good agreement". "The mayor's commitment has been unambiguous," he said.
It was also positively received by the president of the pro-independence ANC (Catalan National Assembly), Jordi Sànchez.
Complim el nostre compromís: a Barcelona l'#1oct es podrà participar sense posar en risc institució ni servidors públics
— Ada Colau (@AdaColau) 14 de setembre de 2017
Translation: We're fulfilling our promise: in Barcelona on 1st October people will be able to take part without putting at risk the institution nor public servants.
Bona notícia! https://t.co/l8NnOpbS9O
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 14 de setembre de 2017
Good news!
Gran noticia! Guanya la democràcia!! Votarem!!! https://t.co/svNi6n7j6E
— Jordi Sànchez (@jordisanchezp) 14 de setembre de 2017
Great news! Democracy wins! We'll vote!
The agreement was reached even though the City Council's secretary, who is a state civil servant, had said in a report that Ada Colau's government has to comply with the Constitutional Court's ruling and not collaborate with the referendum by opening polling stations because, otherwise, it could have "penal consequences". As such, in the 15-page report, the secretary opposed the City Council potentially acceding to the Catalan government's petitions to provide voting locations for the independence referendum.