Catalans vote for independence again

Catalonia went to the polls today in elections forced on them by the Spanish judiciary (first, by removing the elected president from office, breaking the governing coalition, then by ruling that the elections had to proceed in spite of the pandemic). And for the first time, pro-independence parties have won over 50% of the vote:

Pro-independence parties have won more than 50% of the vote in the 2021 Catalan election, the first time they have managed to do so.

In what will be a major boost to supporters of Catalan independence, a combined total of 51.24% voters (with 97% votes counted) chose Esquerra (ERC), Junts per Catalunya, CUP and smaller pro-independence parties in Sunday's ballot.

The independence camp has won a majority of seats in previous elections, for example in 2017 when they accounted for 70 of 135 seats, but this time they also surpassed 50% of votes cast.

They've also retained their parliamentary majority, so it looks like the new government will be much the same as the old one. Meanwhile, the Socialists have been cut out of power, while the Citizens - previously the largest party - got slaughtered. The bad news is that openly fascist Vox has entered the Catalan Parliament for the first time, as Citizens and People's party voters decided to vote for the real thing rather than the imitators. Which at least makes it clear what is really driving opposition to independence.