Catalonia ready to declare independence immediately if referendum goes its way
Barcelona — Catalonia will declare independence "immediately" if a majority of the Spanish region’s voters opt for independence in a Scotland-style referendum called for in October, its ruling coalition said on Tuesday. "If the majority of votes are for creating a Catalan republic, obviously independence will have to be declared immediately," said Gabriela Serra, a member of the separatist coalition that governs Catalonia. Her comments come as the coalition introduced a law aimed at extracting the north-eastern region from Spain’s legal system, in a bid to circumvent all legal and practical challenges to organising a referendum. It will be submitted to a vote in the regional parliament, where separatists hold a majority, at the end of August. Catalonia, a wealthy region of 7.5-million inhabitants with its own language and customs, has long demanded greater autonomy. For years separatist politicians in the region have tried to win approval from Spain’s central government to hold a vo...
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