Already Mired in Debt, Spain Under ‘Major Shadow’     Text
Size   Published: Friday, 23 Nov 2012 | 7:21 AM ET By: | Digital
News Editor  Already brought to its knees by spiraling debt and
huge unemployment, Spain can ill afford to lose the main
contributor to its economy.  Stefano Buonamici | Bloomberg |
Getty Images  Yet that is the potential outcome of elections in
the northeastern region of Catalonia on Sunday, where the
separatist movement has gained ground as the economic crisis in
Spain deepened.  With a population of some 7.5 million,
Catalonia is Spain's second most populous region.  It generates
about 19 percent of Spain's economic output and gross domestic
product (GDP) per capita that is higher than the European Union
average. The region has its own language and a strong cultural
identity.  And as Spain slides ever deeper into recession,
Catalonia wants out.  The latest polls show the separatist
party, led by Artur Mas, is unlikely to win an absolute majority
on Sunday, but analysts believe that a