Scotland after the election:Nicola Sturgeon relies on confrontation – but not right away
Not the weather on her side, but she has a lot of voters: Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) will likely remain Prime Minister of Scotland.
(Photo: dpa)
The Scottish Separatists won a victory without an absolute majority. What does this mean for the new independence referendum?
Commentary by Alexander Mulor, London
The Secessionists in Scotland missed their target. The SNP did not achieve an absolute majority in the regional elections. However, her victory is so clear that party leader Nicolas Sturgeon will continue to rule in Edinburgh. You will likely form a coalition with the Greens to underscore a fact: There is a majority in the Scottish Regional Parliament in favor of a new version of the 2014 Independence Referendum.
However, the sturgeon is smart enough not to rush to a referendum. Even in the case of an absolute majority, she had to wait. Because, according to surveys, it cannot be sure that the majority of Scots will vote to secede from the United Kingdom. The UK government’s vaccination campaign is going very well, and the country is likely to emerge from the coronavirus crisis faster than most of the European Union.
The sturgeon needs approval from London to hold a legally binding referendum at all. With Prime Minister Boris Johnson likely to continue to refuse this, the question of the independence of Scotland should end up before the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court. Only this court can ultimately clarify who should decide on the future of Scotland.
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