Vote is symbolic for all but PSC

Let's get this straight: Today's vote in the Catalan Parliament asks Catalan MPs to ask Spanish Congress to allow Catalan Parliament to ask members if they want to ask constituents whether they want Catalonia to be independent.

It could be slightly more direct.

But as is often the case, the actual text of a motion isn't always reflected in the votes for or against. To wit:

CiU (Liberals and Christian Democrats) underscores importance of a referendum being carried out—'legally', though leaving door open to Catalan laws, and not necessarily Spanish ones—and sees the motion today as a way of legitimizing an eventual referendum before eyes of international community who will otherwise surely say, 'You didn't even ask?'

ERC (Republican left) and CUP (Anti-capitalists) say there is no need to consult the Spanish State; Catalonia declared its sovereignty on Jan 23, 2013, and can hold a referendum if it so chooses. And they worry that asking Madrid for permission might engender delays that would sideline the process. But ERC is willing to support this motion in order to mollify ICV and also CiU. The CUP is not, and so will abstain.

ICV-EUiA (Greens) supports right to decide but insists on at least asking Spanish State for permission.

PP (Spanish right) and C's (Spanish populist) are against allowing Catalonia the right to decide and will vote against the motion, without compunction.

PSC (Catalan Socialists) which has always said it's in favor of the right to decide, but that any referendum must be negotiated with the Spanish State, says the motion is a fait accompli, and worse a provocation, sure to be rejected in the Spanish Congress, and thus have insisted on voting against—despite the fact that the motion ostensibly fulfills the PSC electoral platform of asking Spain's permission to hold referendum.

This division between its electoral program and the directives of its Executive Board brings PSC to the precipice: Yesterday, prominent PSC MP Angel Ros gave up his seat in Parliament rather than vote against the motion. Each Secretary of the Barcelona chapters of the PSC Youth signed a manifesto demanding an abstention, discretion in the vote, that dissenters not be punished, and that a discussion be opened on topic.

Today in the vote in Catalonia's Parliament, three more PSC members will vote against their party's recommendation and in favor of the motion—risking threatened expulsion from the party—and a fourth will vote No while simultaneously criticizing the vote and resigning from the Executive Board. The defections will push PSC, who as recently as 2003 had won 42 seats in Parliament to a historic low of 17, and fourth place behind PP.

While the motion today in the Parliament is guaranteed passage, PSC doesn't have the same assurance.

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This division between its electoral program and the directives of its Executive Board brings PSC to the precipice.