More than two million Catalans voted overwhelmingly to reject the Spanish government and for independence in a non-binding referendum, the very existence of which was an act of defiance.  Almost 80-percent of voters chose independence.

The Catalan government predicts the final turnout figure to be around 2.25 million voters, around half of Catalonia’s registered voters.  Spain is mired in economic doldrums, but Catalonia is doing comparatively week.  The region contributes way more to the nation’s bottom line than it gets back in the budget.  But with the Constitutional Court having already declared the referendum to be unconstitutional, Spain’s Justice Minister Rafael Catala said the vote is a “useless and sterile” act of political theater.

“The government considers this to be a day of political propaganda organized by pro-independence forces and devoid of any kind of democratic validity,” Catala said in a statement.

But Catalan leader Artur Mas hailed the non-binding poll “a great success” that should pave the way for a formal referendum. 

“We have earned the right to a referendum,” Mas told cheering supporters.  “Once again Catalonia has shown that it wants to rule itself.”