The latest exit polls and first results coming in have the separatist parties united in "Junts Pel Sí" and the smaller leftist pro-independence party "CUP" winning an absolute majority in today's regional election in Catalonia. Both parties announced before the election that if they won a majority they would declare independence from Spain within 18 months.

You can follow the evolution of the result here live:

This was the result of an earlier exit poll:

Image: EuropaPress

The exit polls would give the separatists between 74 and 79 seats (of the 68 needed for an absolute majority in the 135-seat assembly).

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