Catalan 'Independence Referendum'

Tomorrow sees local elections in Catalonia, the region of Spain where Barcelona is found, which are being seen as a virtual referendum on whether Catalonia should break free of Spain and become an independent country or not.

The Guardian newspaper has published some excellent articles on the debate, from the perspective of Catalans and foreigners, businesses and individuals, showing both the for and against arguments about the move for independence. Check out some of them below:

Overview

• "'The Spaniard despises what he doesn't know,' but many Catalans are just as ignorant of the Spanish."
  Is the media twisting the opinions of normal Catalans?

The Argument For

• "I am a Catalan, and this is the only nationality I want to be anywhere in the world"
  The desire for a different passport is strong.
• "The Catalan people do not have the sovereignty to implement their own policies to fight unemployment"
  The argument for more local government is strong - but why in Catalonia and not in the rest of Spain's regions?

The Argument Against

• "I can't see anything but a hypocritical interest in independence"
  The talk of Spanish 'oppression' doesn't wash with all Catalans.
• "I have had conversations in which Catalans have, with no hint of irony, compared Catalonia to Tibet" 
  How bad do the Catalans have it, really?

The View of Foreigners in Barcelona

• "I'm not entirely sure the economic arguments are sound"
  Disapproval from foreigners who feel blind nationalism is getting in the way of sound economics

The View from Big Business

• "Industrial companies that sell things to Spain and the EU, we will lose a lot of sales, because we have trade tariffs in the EU."
  Are the economic arguments sound?

See also: 100 Things to Do in Barcelona