Catalonia’s dash for independence

Catalonia will declare independence within 48 hours of a ‘‘yes’’ vote in next month’s controversial referendum, a leading regional politician said yesterday.

Raul Romeva, the Catalan regional government’s foreign minister, said the vote would be regarded as binding even if there was a low turnout, though he conceded that the new state would not be recognised internationally.

Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, is facing the country’s biggest political crisis since a failed coup by army officers in 1981. He has called the poll illegal and vowed to stop it taking place. The Spanish constitutional court has suspended the referendum while it considers an appeal by Rajoy’s People’s Party, which says it contravenes the country’s 1978 constitution.

Romeva, who has already set up several embassies around the world, predicted that Catalonia would secede by October 3, two days after the referendum. ‘‘I am convinced that there will be a declaration of [independence] within 48 hours,’’ he told The Times.

Protests continued yesterday in Barcelona over the early-morning arrests on Thursday of 14 Catalan government officials. Police seized nearly ten million ballot papers.

Catalonia has seen a surge in support for independence since the start of a deep economic crisis in 2008, with polls suggesting about 40 per cent of people want to split from Spain. About 70 per cent say they want to vote on the issue.

Romeva has rebuffed an offer to begin talks with the Madrid government over funding for the region. Many Catalans believe their region contributes more than its fair share of taxes to the central government. ‘‘Once independence plans are dropped we can talk,’’ Luis de Guindos, the Spanish economy minister, told the Financial Times. ‘‘Catalonia already has a lot of autonomy, but we could talk about a reform of the funding system and other issues.’’

Romeva insisted that the drive for independence was not about finances. ‘‘This is about democracy and how to build a 21stcentury state,’’ he said.

Catalan leaders admitted that the referendum preparations had

SPAIN:

been hard hit by the arrest of senior officials and the seizure of campaign material. ‘‘It is obvious that we won’t be able to vote as we would have liked,’’ said Oriol Junqueras, the Catalan vicepresident.

Spain’s EU partners are concerned by the crisis and their public support for Mr Rajoy belies disquiet in some quarters that his hardline tactics might backfire. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, called for talks between the two sides.

‘‘That has got to be preferable to the sight of police officers seizing ballot papers and entering newspaper offices,’’ she said. - The Times

PHOTO: REUTERS The Rhapsody, left, and Moby Dada, right, ferry ships, which were rented by the Spanish Interior Ministry to house hundreds of National Police and Civil Guard officers called in to reinforce forces in Catalonia were blockaded by dockers in the port of...

Catalan regional government foreign minister Raul Romeva says even a small turnout in this week’s referendum will be reguarded as binding.

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is facing the country’s biggest political crisis since 1981.