I fully expect this to fail by quite a margin, ie. at least 58-42. Unexpectedly, this proves that France can be a bit smarter than Spain by agreeing to an independence referendum it fully expects to fail, thus shutting up everyone for a good while.
Agreed. Spain could have just let the independence referendum happen, encourage everyone eligible to vote in it to vote, bring in election observers, the whole works. Then when it fails, they can point out how gracious they were, and how their secessionist region still voted against it.
I don't understand why so many countries think suppressing an independence referendum is smarter than going with France, the UK, or Canada's example.
spain doesn't allow referendum because they know majority of catalans are in favor of independence. but that's western "democracy": when you know majority of citizens in region are for independence don't allow them to vote, or like in case of western australia 1933. allow them and then when people vote for independence act like nothing happened.
