Why the role of international actors could be key in settling Catalonia’s standoff with Madrid over independence

Catalan President Artur Mas appeared in court on 15 October in relation to the symbolic referendum on independence from Spain held on 9 November 2014. Zoran Oklopcic writes that with Mas and his Junts pel Si coalition committed to setting Catalonia on the path toward a declaration of independence following elections in September, the eyes of the international community are on how the Spanish government chooses to respond. He argues that the strategy of the Catalan independence movement now rests on bringing international pressure on to Madrid by highlighting the government’s unresponsiveness to peaceful demands for a referendum.