The regional government of Catalonia has reiterated today that they will absolutely not comply with the Spanish national government’s orders to abandon the Sunday referendum, saying that there is no legal basis for threatening to arrest those involved in the vote.
Spain has been desperately trying to undermine the vote in recent weeks, sending thousands of national police into Catalonia, threatening people with sedition changes, and raiding sites across the area trying to find ballot papers to seize.
Despite all of that, and in many ways because of that, voters seem more eager to cast ballots than ever. Mounting police threats are having no effect, and people are already queuing up at the polling stations days ahead of schedule.
Catalan officials are expecting a roughly 60% turnout Sunday, meaning in excess of 3 million voters will be at the polls. That appears to underscore the reality that several thousand police can’t really “stop” this vote.
If there is only 60% turnout, or less, and with all the volatility – we should expect the referendum to pass, because the highest turnout will be comprised of those most passionately backing independence.
After that, Rajoy will have to decide if he will order invasion and martial law
via Article 155. I do not envy him.
Barcelona has a long and proud history of fighting facist control freaks.
Spain is now officially a member of the “We Hate Democracy Club”.
what is the bet that the same people that are complaining that the Catalans are not getting their rights adhered to are the same people complaining about Crimea having a vote and going with Russia.
A sensible post by Moon of Alabama
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/10/on-catalonias-referendum.html
The more well off parts of a country are always tempted to go their own way and I get the impression libertarians have an ideological inclination to always support this. I don’t.
“In general the splitting off of sub-states from the bigger, established nations weakens both.”
He writes that like it’s a bad thing. It isn’t. Unfortunately, it also seems to be incorrect as some commenters point out.