It is a big day for Catalonia today as Catalans head to the polls to vote yes or no for independence from Spain — or at least vote for or against the current ruling party, which says it will strive for Catalonian independence if it wins re-election.
The 300-year old debate about whether Catalonia would be better as an independent state or part of Spain is so far seeing record numbers of Catalans out at the polls, with more than 5 million Catalans eligible to vote. There is no news yet, however, as to which way the vote is going.
Of course, polls have shown the independence movement in Catalonia, a Spanish state of 7.5 million people, is strong but, as we all know, polls can often be wrong.
Many Catalans are not happy about the idea of an independent Catalonia because, as a new country, it would not officially be part of the EU, and that could definitely negatively impact the economy of the region.
Many international companies have also said they would move out of Catalonia if it did achieve independence, as it would cause too many problems for them trying to do business with the rest of the EU.
Either way, the results of today’s Catalan elections should be interesting. But do not be surprised if the number of Catalans voting for independence from Spain are not as many as the polls would suggest.