Editorial: Woes in Spain

IS Spain´s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy playing with fire by not allowing Catalans to have a say on independence? No referendum and not even a consultation! This weekend the so-called illegal consultation in which Catalans will be polled on whether they want independence will go ahead but already the police are saying that they will move in if told so by the regional authorities. Rajoy is playing a dangerous game or is he? You must remember that his Partido Popular is about as popular in Catalonia as the Conservative Party in Scotland. Grass-root Partido Popular supporters are deeply opposed to any sort of breakaway by the Catalans and obviously they are supportive of their Prime MInister and his tough line. But the call for independence is not going to go away. Sooner or later the Prime Minister is going to have to sit down with the Catalans and discuss more powers or even a referendum on independence. It is easy to say no but it takes courage to say yes.  Now some say that the Catalans would settle for more home rule in return for ending their independence drive others just want to have their say. Rajoy knows well that any sort of concessions to the Catalans will be picked up by the Basques who are also pondering a breakaway. So all is not well in Spain and Rajoy needs to act. He is the Prime Minister of all of Spain and he should at least listen to their claims. His no vote line is just fuelling the fires of independence.