Referendum in Catalonia: a High Risk Showdown

On October 1st, the Catalans should answer through the ballot box to the following question: “Do you want Catalonia to be an independent state in the form of a republic? “. The referendum called by the Generalitat, the Catalan Autonomous Government, and approved by the Catalan Parliament on September 6th, is considered illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court.

Carles Puigdemont, the President of the Catalan government, does not have the intention to abandon it. The Madrid reaction did not take long to come: on September 20th, the guardia civil made 14 arrests of senior officials and searched several departments. The Catalans have broken into the streets to denounce repressive methods that revive the still fresh memories of Franco regime.

Will the vote take place? Legal or illegal? The legal treatment of this major crisis for Spain (and Europe!) is insufficient. Both sides have to find a peaceful dialogue for a political, negotiated and lasting solution.

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