Home to Catalonia

Catalonia's long argument for independence from Spain appears to be coming to some sort of a head. With it, some questions that are becoming increasingly pertinent around Europe, with a 21st Century version of independence on the cards.

Catalan separatism is being driven especially at the moment by Spain's financial woes.

But a state is not just money. Catalonia, which already has its own police force, would need a central bank, a diplomatic service and a dizzying number of other agencies, regulators and institutions. Then there are more nuanced questions. What league would Barcelona football club play in? And would the new country get EU and UN membership? And what about an army? Mas says it does not need one, but would still want to be in Nato. "We don't want armed services," he said. "Our best scheme is to pay for our defence." That assumes Nato would be prepared to protect a Catalonia that was not prepared to spill the blood of its own soldiers.

Is it the case that, instead of being a region of Spain, Catalonia (and Scotland, and the Basque country, and others) may choose to reinvent itself as a region of Europe, relying on EU infrastructure for its external services, and NATO as its muscle?

Given the parlous state of the EU itself at the moment, that could be a precarious tactic. Or could it perhaps give the EU the raison d'etre it's been seeking for so long?