###POV. Catalonian Unilateral Secession.......>

SPAIN: ###POV. Catalonian Unilateral Secession Threat has Faded.

An El Pais poll in Catalonia reported that just 24% of respondents wanted to

continue with a strategy to secede from Spain unilaterally. 

- However, separatist sentiment remains strong with 40% of survey respondents

still "supporting a government formed by ERC, Junts per Catalunya and either

CUP" i.e. the separatist parties. So the push from the secessionists

increasingly to find a negotiated exit from Spain. 

- It already seems like the secessionist parties are waking up to this more

moderate sentiment. The coordinator of Puidgemont's PDeCAT party has  suggested

the party is planning to drop a call for the region to break away from Catalonia

unilaterally. And, the more radical ERC has also said that the separatist

movement needs to win more support for the separatist's cause. 

- It's still entirely possible that secessionist parties for the majority in the

new Catalan Parliament after Dec 21. But, the impact upon Spanish debt and

equities of even this outcome is looking fairly limited.