For Spain’s autonomous Catalonia region September 11, 2015, is a notable date on two fronts. As well as being a Diada – the Catalan national day – it also marks the beginning of the campaign for the upcoming local elections.<br /><br /> The region’s President Artur Mas took part in a ceremony in Barcelona to commemorate the day in 1714 when Catalonia lost its self-rule to the Castillian crown.<br /><br /> The road to independence?<br /><br /> But with the Sociological Research Center’s latest state-run poll suggesting the leader’s left-wing Junts Pel Si movement could win a narrow majority in the vote, secessionists are looking to today as the beginning of the road to independence for the northeastern region.<br /><br /> Mas has joined the left-winged ERC to form the pro-independence movement, which is expected to win 60-61 votes on September 27.<br /><br /> A coalition with the more radical, left-wing CUP could achieve a combined 68-69 seats (around 44 percent of the vote), which represents the narrowest possible majority.<br /><br /> Opposi
