Will Catalonia be allowed to secede?

[Jovial Monk]

Vote for Catalan independence from Spain happening now.

Madrid says resolutely NO to secession moves.

Could kickstart a wider political war. . .

http://en.avaaz.org/1138/catalonia-vote ... aign=spain" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Austerity has been causing very high unemployment, riots, strikes, protests the lot. Might get hotter now.

[Jovial Monk]

Spain regions: Catalonia nationalists 'head for win'

Nationalists in the Spanish region of Catalonia are set to win in regional elections, exit polls suggest.

TV3 said the ruling CiU party could secure up to 57 seats - far short of an absolute majority. In second place was left-wing ERC - with up to 23 seats.

Both are nationalists keen to hold a referendum on whether the region should break away from the rest of Spain.

Madrid says Catalan nationalists are looking for excuses after nearly running out of money.

Catalan President Artur Mas called early elections amid a funding row with the central government; it says he is trying to exploit the economic crisis.

European membership?
Mr Mas says the wealthy and influential north-eastern region gets a raw funding deal from the central government. His centre-right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) was likely to have 54-57 seats, the TV3 projection said - down from 62 at present.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20482719

It is clear the Catalans want to steer their own course and have had a gutful of the idiotic austerity policy that is killing the European economy—they will join the EU but not the EZ—having gained independence they would be stupid to join a common currency and so lose control of their finances.

The Madrid government opposes secession—will there be a shooting war, a civil war, in Spain? If it happens will it remain confined to Catalonia, to Spain?

[Jovial Monk]

No comments? This stuff actually matters, unlike the stupid so–called S&G “scandal.”

[boxy]

I guess no one believes it will come to a shooting war, in Spain.

[Aussie]

I guess no one believes it will come to a shooting war, in Spain.

Probably because no-one there can afford to buy a bullet, let alone a gun.

[boxy]

Doesn't seem to stop anyone else...

[IQS.RLOW]

It's Spain..

Like another other socialist entity, they will want someone else to pull the trigger while they indulge in a twitter campaign

[AiA in Atlanta]

Same old story really: the Catalonians believe they contribute more than their fair share financially to the rest of Spain. Spain says this just isn't true.