Demonstrators hold signs reading "Enough deception! Independence now !" as they take part in a protest called by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) a day after Spain's general election, in Barcelona on July 24, 2023. The conservative Popular Party (PP) came first as predicted by the polls, but won far fewer mandates than expected -- taking 136 of the parliament's 350 seats. Even with the 33 seats won by the far-right Vox, its sole possible ally, the two parties will fall short of the 176 seats needed for a working majority. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)