Catalonia Chickens Out

Catalonia gets cold feet at the last moment because the European Union wasn't going to back them. Independence is only possible when it is true independence and the opinions of outsiders are ignored.

Bloomberg: Balance of Power: A Full-Blooded Separatist Retreat in Catalonia

After rowdy demonstrations, a covert referendum (which drew a violent response from Spanish police) and vows to set up a new republic, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont blinked.

Many lawmakers gathered for a special session of the regional legislature were hoping to hear a declaration of independence. Instead, he put the process on hold to make another appeal for talks with the Spanish government. No deadline. No leverage. And Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s response was powerful: he started the process that could see Puigdemont’s administration stripped of its powers.

Already last night cracks were opening up in the separatist coalition, suggesting a regional election may be necessary next year.

If Catalonians wan't independence, it won't be with cowards who want to maintain their subservience to the European Union. The first European nation to declare independence will probably be led by a right-wing movement such as in Northern Italy.