Campaigning ends in Spain's wealthy Catalan region

World November 23, 2012

Campaigning ends in Spain's wealthy Catalan region

Photo: AP The leader of center-right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU), Artur Mas, is seen surrounded by bodyguards as he reviews his speech ahead of an electoral meeting in Girona, Spain. Catalonia's regional president Artur Mas, who is leading the independence charge and holding rallies bristling with European Union flags, has voiced optimism _ perhaps mere wishful thinking _ that an independent Catalonia would be swiftly embraced into the EU fold. Catalonia holds elections on Sunday that will be seen as a test of the regional government's plans to hold a referendum on independence, and one of the key issues emerging is the theoretical place of a free Catalonia in Europe.

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MADRID (AP) — Campaigning for regional elections in Spain's wealthy and influential northeastern region of Catalonia ends late Friday.

With 135 parliamentary seats available, regional president Artur Mas' center-right Catalan Nationalist Coalition is ahead in the polls. Mas has made independence from Spain a central issue in his bid for votes and his rallies have bristled with European Union flags, with the 56-year-old politician voicing optimism that an independent Catalonia would be swiftly embraced into the 27-nation bloc.

Polls open Sunday morning when Mas' plans will be put to the vote. If successful, he has pledged to hold a referendum on independence to test the popularity of the theoretical creation of a free Catalonia in Europe. Mas ousted the Socialist party in elections in November 2010.

Subjects
People
- Artur Mas i Gavarro
Locations
- Spain,
- Western Europe,
- Europe
Organisations
- European Union

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