A turbulent year in Catalonia is coming to an end with what is likely to be a major upheaval in the region’s political balance of power, caused by the November 28 regional election. The issue of regional sovereignty and the related questions of autonomy and even independence have been in the air more than usual throughout 2010. An unbinding referendum on independence in 211 Catalan towns (which gave an overwhelming “yes” response but saw an extremely low turnout) in April set the tone. Then in June, the Constitutional Court, after four years of deliberation and institutional foot-dragging, struck down several clauses in the new Estatut, which granted extra powers to the region. The … [Read more...] about Catalan elections mark end of an era