Cool heads needed in Spain 

The clamour for seccession is always politically and diplomatically messy, and more so if it develops into a serious process. Spain is staring at something arguably in between. The campaign for independence in Catalonia, a major autonomous community comprising four provinces, had been simmering for some time but recent violence related to a referendum the central government frowned upon has upgraded it from a regional issue to an international headline, which is here to stay, apparently.
The people of Catalonia are drawing both criticism and admiration, triggering worldwide soul-searching. What they are seeking is threatening to unleash major political and economic repercussions across Europe. As the debate goes on, the point of no return is edging closer.
Questions will no longer be limited to which European league Barcelona will play in if the campaign, denounced by the King of Spain, succeeds. The European Union, beset by one big headache after another over the past few years, would face another major problem. But these are long-term issues. The immediate task for everyone is to avoid an explosion of all the nasty things associated with this kind of situation.
A glimpse of horrible things to come could be seen a few days ago. On Sunday, the clash between pro-independence protesters and Spanish police, who were ordered to block the secession referendum, left scores injured and only served to deepen a political crisis. The central government had the law largely on its side, but Sunday’s incidents were captured and widely shared as still photos and videos gave the secessionists the political ammunition they wanted. The stand-off has escalated remarkably, with the only positive being the international spotlight should make any advocate of violence think twice before acting.
This is an issue that divides opinions, with the principle of self-determination clashing with a counter-argument for political unity. Throughout history, this recurring divide has seen the rise and fall of empires, disagreement over definitions of terrorism and differences over human rights and how far “democracy” should extend. Of course, people in Catalonia are calling it a “pro-independence” campaign, which sounds politically better than what the Spanish government describes it as – a “secessionist” movement. By whatever it is called, the situation has become dangerous.
Sunday’s violence was said by many to be a government slip-up. Although the Catalans were suppressed under the Franco dictatorship, they have since enjoyed far better times economically, culturally and politically, and the pro-independence referendum won considerable sympathy for the central Spanish rulers. Until the government’s ban on the referendum and their police action changed the perception remarkably, that is.
So, Catalonia now knows how to get world attention. The Spanish government, meanwhile, is seeing the situation threatening to spin out of its control and thus will always be prepared to take harsh measures. This is a recipe for a very untoward, potentially explosive crisis.
The stage is now set for the snowballing of Spain’s crisis, which features many controversial and contradictory thoughts and principles. On the one hand, the referendum was a good barometer where the Catalans’ feelings are concerned. On the other hand, the vote was a sure-fire way to disseminate and elevate sentiments that the central government does not like.
There will be plenty of time to debate the breakaway attempts but there is much lesser time to prevent the problem from worsening. The central government, the Catalans, the European Union and all neutral observers must handle this highly fragile situation with care.