![Europe will never be the same after Scot vote, nor will British euroscepticism Europe will never be the same after Scot vote, nor will British euroscepticism](https://www.cer.eu/sites/default/files/styles/spotlight/public/images/spotlight/in_the_press/2014/catalan_protests_sl-1411380153.jpg?itok=3OjzoAlz)
Europe will never be the same after Scot vote, nor will British euroscepticism
“The Catalans see this as a victory regardless of the result, and I think we are heading for a very nasty crisis,” said Charles Grant, head of the Centre for European Reform. “Madrid is going to block their vote and it may lead to Ghandi-style civic resistance that could bring Catalan cities to a standstill.”
The Catalan drive for independence has its own deep roots, harking back to statehood before the Bourbon conquest in 1714. It turned radical four years ago when the ruling Partido Popular – a party with roots in the Franco regime – exploited economic crisis to settle an old score and roll back Catalonia’s autonomy.