NPR

In Spain, Catalans Are Divided Over Independence Vote As Referendum Approaches

Catalonia's independence referendum is scheduled for Oct. 1, but polls show as many as half of Catalans don't favor it. "For business owners, independence is a loaded issue," says a Catalan winemaker.
The main square of Batea, a town of about 2,000 residents in Spain's northeast region of Catalonia. The mayor opposes Sunday's independence referendum and has not given permission for voting to take place in municipal buildings.

For 28 years, Joaquim Paladella has been mayor of his hometown of Batea, a pretty sandstone village of 2,000 people, nestled in vineyards west of Barcelona.

It's a place with more tractors than cars. There's so much farmwork, Batea has almost full employment. The jobless rate is 3 percent, one of the lowest in Spain.

Whenever there are elections for local, regional and national offices, Paladella sets

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Have You Seen This Emotional Support Gator? Wally's Owner Says He's Lost In Georgia
Wally has many fans in Pennsylvania and across social media. His owner is enlisting their help, saying Wally was kidnapped, located by a trapper and released into a swamp while vacationing in Georgia.
NPR4 min read
Cicadas Are Back On The Menu. One Chef Shares His Dish Ideas — And An Easy Recipe
The cicadas are coming! And so are some new flavor profiles. This spring, the bugs of two broods, the 13-year Brood XIX and the 17-year Brood XIII, will crawl from the ground simultaneously across the eastern and southern parts of the United States.
NPR5 min read
Can You Survive Summer Indoors Without AC? In Arizona, Many Don’t
Nearly half of the people who suffered heat-related deaths in Arizona last year lived outdoors without shelter, but public health officials and lawmakers are starting to pay more attention to the risk of dying indoors.

Related Books & Audiobooks