Will Catalonia Hold a Referendum on Whether to Break Away From Spain?
An independence vote was slated for November 9, but Madrid declared it illegal. Who will win the tug-of-war?
On Saturday, September 27, in a solemn ceremony in Barcelona's ornate,
15th- century government palace, surrounded by the great and the good of
Catalan politics, Artur Mas i Gavarró, the stylish president of the
rich, northeastern Spanish province of Catalonia, took a momentous step
in the long march toward the dream of an independent Catalonia: He signed a decree formally calling for a referendum to be held on November 9.
Catalan
separatist flags brighten a gathering of thousands in central Barcelona
on September 11 to mark Diada—Catalonia Day. A decision is imminent on
whether an independence referendum will go ahead on November 9.
