Central Government - Catalonia To Vote In Key Elections - Spain Regions - Bbc News

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Continue studying the principle report Catalonia's Future

Catalonia profile

Catalans weigh their future

The Spanish area of Catalonia is usually organizing to hold on to critical local elections, right after a advertising campaign that will features devoted to the matter of independence.

Catalan nationalists wish to keep a referendum on whether the particular region need to separate faraway from the remaining of Spain.

Polls advise Catalan nationalist gatherings tend to be established to perform well.

Catalan President Artur Mas named first elections anywhere between a finance line with all the middle government; that states that they're attempting to make use of the particular economic crisis.

Madrid says Catalan nationalists are searching for excuses obtaining nearly come to an end associated with money, in addition to having run up a large debt.

Polls open up with 08:00 (07:00 GMT) with Sunday.

European membership?

Mr Mas states that that well-off along with influential north-eastern region receives a new raw funding cope through the middle government, plus his centre-right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) will be hoping for any vast majority inside the regional parliament.

His party argues some sort of Catalan express could fare far better as being a representative from the EU than the usual land of Spain.

The European flag has become notable at his strategy rallies, and also this individual says an independent Catalonia would speedily achieve regular membership on the 27-member bloc.

The CiU ousted your Socialist party in elections in November 2010.

With 135 parliamentary bicycle seats available, Mr Mas understands that will when they is usually to follow his dream of an unbiased Catalonia, he can want a specific mandate from voters, pronounces the BBC's Tom Burridge, throughout Barcelona.

If not, Mr Mas must count on the help support of small pro-independence parties, our own correspondent says.

Even then, the particular route for you to independence is usually far from straightforward.

A referendum would likely always be unlawful under the existing Spanish constitution, and also Spain's ruling Popular Party will stop almost any attempts for constitutional change.

Other parties, for example the nationalist Ciutadans, the Popular Party regarding Catalonia the Socialist Party associated with Catalonia are most opposed to Catalonia's self-sufficiency bid.

The Catalan vote will come as that Basque separatist motion Eta indicates it truly is willing to disarm, disband along with enter talks while using French in addition to Spanish governments.