VERONA, Italy — It is greater autonomy —- not independence —- that two of Italy’s wealthiest regions are seeking in a pair of referendums Sunday, yet Catalonia’s secessionist ambitions in nearby Spain loom large over the debate. In contrast, the Oct. 1 Catalan independence referendum was declared illegal and vigorously opposed by the central Spanish government in Madrid. Another party, Veneto Independence, was behind a failed attempt to get constitutional court approval for a Veneto referendum on independence. And any sense that Rome is dismissing the autonomy demands could play into the hands of the independence parties. “However, if the idea of autonomy is betrayed by the central government, it will feed the push for independence.”

Source: National Post October 20, 2017 12:52 UTC