Could Catalonia make a success of independence?

Will they or may not they? The catalan leader carles puigdemont has instructed the bbc the region will claim independence from spain in a matter of days, following a debatable, illegal independence ballot  which spanish police attempted to stop. If they did, independence can be blocked besides. However supposing the area did secede, could catalonia be able to stand on its own  toes?
Trappings of statehood
To the informal observer, catalonia seems like it has already were given the various trappings of a nation. Flags. A parliament. The chief, carles puigdemont.
The location has its personal police pressure, the mossos d'esquadra. It has its personal broadcast regulator, or even boasts a chain of foreign "missions" - mini embassies that promote trade and funding in catalonia around the arena. Catalonia offers a few public offerings already - schools and healthcare, for example.
There'd be an awful lot more to set up within the event of independence, though. Border manipulate. Customs. Proper global members of the family. Defence. A primary bank. Inland sales. Air visitors manipulate.
All of those are currently run by means of madrid.
However assuming it did create those new institutions - wouldn't it be able to pay for them?
Officer of the catalan police pressure stands by means of a squad van in barcelona.Photograph copyrightafp
Photo caption
Catalonia already has its very own police pressure
Motives to be joyful
"madrid nos roba" is a famous secessionist slogan - "madrid is robbing us." the obtained awareness is that comparatively rich catalonia will pay in greater than it gets out of the spanish kingdom.
Catalonia is clearly wealthy as compared with different parts of spain. It is domestic to simply sixteen% of the spanish populace, but 19% of its gdp and greater than a quarter of spain's foreign exports.
It punches above its weight in phrases of tourism too - 18 million of spain's seventy five million travelers chose catalonia as their primary vacation spot remaining year, without problems the most visited location.
Tarragona has one in all europe's biggest chemical hubs.
Barcelona is one of the european's pinnacle 20 ports by weight of products handled.
About a 3rd of the operating populace has some shape of tertiary schooling.
It is also true that catalans pay greater in taxes than is spent on their place.
In 2014, the remaining year the spanish authorities has figures for, catalans paid almost €10bn (£eight.9bn) greater in taxes than reached their vicinity in public spending. Could an impartial catalonia get the difference returned?
A few have argued that even if catalonia received a tax enhance from independence, that would get swallowed up by means of having to create new public institutions and run them without the equal economies of scale.
And some argue that it makes sense for the country to redistribute money from richer to poorer regions in this way.
A tougher reckoning
Possibly of greater problem is catalonia's public debt.
The catalan authorities owes €77bn (£68bn) on the last depend, or 35.Four% of catalonia's gdp. Of that, €52bn is owed to the spanish authorities.
In 2012, the spanish authorities set up a special fund to offer coins to the areas, who had been unable to borrow money at the worldwide markets after the financial disaster. Catalonia has been via some distance the most important beneficiary of this scheme, taking €67bn since it began.
No longer handiest could catalonia lose get right of entry to to that scheme, but it might improve the query of ways a whole lot debt catalonia might be willing to repay after independence.
That question would truly cast a shadow over any negotiations. And on pinnacle of the sum owed by the local authorities - would madrid anticipate barcelona to shoulder a percentage of the spanish national debt?
A giant ecu flag is unfurled over gaudi's los angeles pedrera constructing in barcelonaimage copyrightafp
Picture caption
Many catalans are proud to be eu residents - that is probably complicated to maintain after independence
Involuntary catalexit?
Why would independence negotiations rely?
By no means thoughts the mess of disentangling catalonia's financial system from spain's. Catalonia's financial electricity could also rely on whether or not it remains part of the eu - or at least the single market.
-thirds of catalonia's foreign exports visit the european. It'd want to reapply to come to be a member if it seceded from spain - it would not get in routinely or immediately.
And it might require all ecu members to agree - which includes spain.
Some in the seasoned-independence camp feel that catalonia may want to settle for a norwegian-style answer. Single marketplace club without joining the ecu. Catalans may well be happy to pay for access, and continue to accept free movement of european residents throughout the region's borders.
But if spain chose to, it could make lifestyles difficult for an impartial catalonia.