Catalonia referendum: Spain to take ‘drastic steps’ to ensure region doesn’t get independence

The Spanish government and the European Union warned Catalonia’s separatist leader today against declaring independence, just hours before he announces a possible split from Spain under intense domestic and European scrutiny.

Whether or not Catalan president Carles Puigdemont will follow through on his threat to announce a full breakaway in defiance of the central government and Spanish courts is still unknown.

Police increased security around the regional parliament in Barcelona where Puigdemont is due to address Catalan lawmakers at 1600 GMT, blocking public access to a park that houses the building.

In Madrid, the Spanish government issued a sharp warning to Puigdemont as it grapples with the nation’s worst political crisis in a generation.

“We call on Puigdemont not to do anything irreversible, not to pursue a path of no return and not to make any unilateral independence declaration,” government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo told reporters.

EU President Donald Tusk also urged Puigdemont against making a decision that would make “dialogue impossible”.

At stake is the future of a region of 7.5 million people deeply divided over independence, one of Spain’s economic powerhouses whose drive to break away has raised concern for stability in the European Union.

Political leaders in Catalonia, Spain and Europe have come …read more