The big vote

I think that Spanish leader Mariano Rajoy has made a big mistake by not giving Cataluña the opportunity to have a referendum on independence from Spain. The Spanish province, which has a bigger economy than Portugal, elected a nationalist government in local elections earlier this month and they will be holding an “illegal” referendum on independence in 2014. Rajoy has said that it is unthinkable that Cataluña will leave Spain but the majority of people in the province appear to back the breakaway. British Prime Minister David Cameron effectively killed off the debate on Scottish independence when he agreed to a referendum. Rajoy should have done the same. The ruling Catalan government has said that it is their democratic right to have a referendum and they are not wrong. Let the people decide, is my opinion. The issue of Catalan independence will drag on until there is either a change in government in Cataluña or a referendum is finally agreed. Infact it could be argued that Rajoy is helping to stoke the fires of independence in Cataluña by not agreeing to a vote. It is a dangerous game. David Cameron´s Scottish referendum could easily backfire if the Scots vote in favour of independence. The polls appear to favour Cameron. In Scotland only 30 percent of the population want a breakaway but in Cataluña out of the three million people who voted in the regional poll, two million voted for pro-independence parties. Rajoy should reconsider his decision.