From Spain to Iraq, states have to see that suppressing secession won’t work | Simon Jenkins

Madrid’s heavy-handed approach to Catalonian independence is a mistake. It’s better to compromise and allow a degree of ‘autonomy-lite’

Forget Brexit. The referendum that really matter is this Sunday in the wealthy Spanish province of Catalonia and its great city of Barcelona. A Catalan vote for independence from Spain would trigger a similar vote in Euskal Herria, the Basque country, and start Spain down the road to disintegration. The outcome of the referendum is considered too close to call...