Spanish Government Proposes a New Catalan Referendum

New Spanish government is ready to hold a referendum in Catalonia, said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, specifying a referendum on greater autonomy but not on independence. He told Cadena SER radio that the dialogue he was encouraging between Madrid and Catalonia should lead to a vote “on the reinforcement of Catalonia’s autonomy”. The Prime Minister stressed several times that this was not about referendum on independence or auto-determination, which is simply impossible. The Catalan authorities, representing the coalition of the separatist parties were rather half-hearted about Sanchez’s proposal. Catalan leader Quim Torra in an interview with Catalan television noted that Catalonia’s right to auto-determination cannot be ignored and no one can stop independence process of the region. Source: Kommersant