Sounds like things have started to heat up in Spain with the government promising to halt the referendum.

Who will be next in Europe to voice their preference for semi-autonomy?

The Kurds are becoming crucial in halting IS?
What will their price be?
Full independence or some form of autonomy?

Further afield, the Chinese government are staying shtum while they formulate their response to eventually crush the Hong Kong protests.

the EU should insist that this referendum is allowed to go ahead. We cannot critisise the Chinese for their actions inHong Kong and then allow the Spanish to do the same in Catalonia.

Maybe we can begin with Europe?

Catalonians
Basques
Belgians
West Italians
Venetians
Albanians in Hungary
Welsh

In Scotland we experienced the situtation where devolution can be a very emotive idea.
We cannot allow self centered politicians to break a union that has been in existance for hundreds of years.

https://www.google.ch/#q=European+devolution+examples

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-639_en.htm?locale=en

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-0...in-ground-zero

It's more like North Italians (Northern Italy = Padania)

By West Italians, I guess he means that German-speaking bunch in South Tyrol who are only part of Italy because they were naughty in WWI.

What did they do ...... confuse west with east?

Why not if that's what the people want? I would be quite surprised if the Catalans voted no - my feeling is the desire for independence there is very high.

what about the catalans in france?

Why not allow it?
And to dismiss the idea of people wanting independence as the whims of 'self-centered politicians' is ridiculously dismissive of the very many people in Scotland who do want independence or at least more control over their lives.

If the catalans want to vote, how can the Spanish government stop them? Surely they are not going to send police / army to physically prevent the vote taking place?

Last time they tried that ....... oh well, let's not Godwinise this thread

come on, such things don't happen in Europe anymore.

The Croats, Kosovans and Ukranians might beg to differ.

This.

I wonder when we'll get over the myth of independence and recognize both the need for and reality of inter-dependence. Ich sage das als ein Amerikaner, too :P

Isn't that Alexei Sayle on the right?

It only counts if you have a silly little moustache.

This. A million times this.

I'm not saying Catalonia would be better off separated (I don't have an opinion on the subject), but I wholly support their right to decide on it.

It won't come down to the decision of some silly politician(s), but the vote of the people. Their opinions might be influenced by said politicians, but in the end it is the decision of individual people. To paraphrase the immortal words of Winston Churchill: "Democracy is the worst system, except for all the others".

Attributed to Benjamin Franklin although apparently not found in any of his writings: "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for lunch."

Don't forget the Bavarians, or the South Swedes in Skåne.