Catalonia’s separatists try to stage Spain breakaway attempt

Spain’s foreign minister opened the door Thursday to talks on constitutional reform and greater fiscal powers for Catalonia after a looming regional election billed as a de facto independence referendum.

Polls have shown Catalans overwhelmingly support the right for a secession referendum but are evenly divided over whether they actually want the region to be independent and against it if it means a Catalan state would be outside the European Union.

If they win parliament, Catalan president Artur Mas has vowed to push through an 18-month roadmap to secession for the region of 7.5 million people, which accounts for a fifth of Spain’s economy.

A massive pro-independence demonstration to be held in Barcelona on Catalonia’s National Day, September 11, will become one of the largest rallies in the region’s history, the president of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), organizing the event, told Sputnik on Friday.

The top candidate on a list representing a block of pro-independence parties told reporters that separatists wanted to stage an independence referendum so Catalonia’s voters could directly express their sentiment.

But even if pro-independence supporters win a significant majority, analysts predict they will be unable to convince European nations to recognize a unilateral declaration of independence.

If separatist parties win at least 68 seats in the 135-member Catalan parliament they would trigger a “road map” to secession within 18 months.

The central government is counting on citizens who consider themselves Catalan and Spanish – and do not want to risk losing any part of their identity – to defeat the effort.

Speaking for Spain’s Popular Party (PP) government, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría accused pro-independence forces of turning “what used to be a celebration for all Catalans into an electoral event, mainly for Mr Mas”.

Besides the economic argument, Godoy said Catalans have “our own language, a culture, customs”. “We pay the same taxes as elsewhere in Spain and have more expensive universities and worse infrastructure. We feel like a nation and that’s why we want to be independent”, Godoy said.

Carme Sanchez, a 54-year-old warehouse worker, arrived in Barcelona with her pro-independence flag in hand on a bus from the town of Torello.

“Once the people have spoken through their vote, we will all take onboard what the majority decides”, he said in a televised speech late yesterday.

Many Catalans insist that the separatists do not speak for them.

However, with pollsters predicting the regional election would leave the Catalan parliament divided and fragmented, it may simply extend a deadlock between local and national authorities.

But it would reinforce “the idea in the worldwide community that there is a big problem in Spain regarding the “Catalan question” which deserves attention and some kind of solution”, Requejo said.