Former Catalonian government leader Artur Mas has said the region is not yet ready for ‘real independence’.<br /><br />Mas, currently barred from public office for staging an informal independence referendum in 2014, told the Financial Times on Friday that Catalonia had yet to lay the groundwork.<br /><br />He said there was a debate among Catalan leaders about whether now was the right time to unilaterally declare independence.<br /><br />Artur Mas: ‘This is not just about proclaiming independence but about actually becoming an independent country’ https://t.co/EosjXZ882t— Financial Times (@FT) 6 octobre 2017<br /><br />But his note of caution is the last thing some separatist politicians want to hear.<br /><br />Carles Riera of radical pro-independence party CUP (Popular Unity Candidacy) says the next plenary session of parliament on Tuesday is “an opportunity, a key moment” for it to ratify and confirm the results of last weekend’s referendum, which was banned by Madrid. <br /><br />He said that would mean it ratifying an independence declaration.<br /><br />Others though are determined the region should stay within Spain.<br /><br />“I can’t anticipate what will happen,” said Eva Granados of the Catalan Socialist Party. <br /><br />“We don`t want a unilateral independence declaration. We think that if it is declared, the situation will be terrible. It will lead us to a cliff edge. But I would like to believe that this is not happening.”<br /><br />The Spanish government has stepped up economic pressure on Catalonia, enabling firms to more easily move their operations elsewhere,<br /><br />Lenders Sabadell and CaixaBank are leading the exodus. And Catalonia-based utility Gas Natural is temporarily moving its registered office to Madrid.<br /><br />with Reuters<br />
