Catalans Think Twice About Risks of Rupture as Jobs Return
- Support for independence falls to 35% from 49% in 2013
- Threats to their interests give separatists pause for thought
Carles Puigdemont
Photographer: Pau Barrena/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Joan Boix has been attending separatist demonstrations in Catalonia for at least five years and he contributes to the campaign for a split from Spain.
But as the regional government in Barcelona girds its supporters for a final push that it hopes will deliver independence, the 62-year-old executive is hesitating. Hardliners talk of setting up a rogue Catalan tax agency or a general strike in order to force the issue. But Boix has a company to worry about.