Catalan's leader, Artur Mas, said that independence would come "sooner or later", promised to push for a referendum on secession if the coalition of pro-independence parties win elections this month.
"Clearly, if we get a majority of the votes on September 27, then that's the referendum done," Mr Mas told AFP in an interview on Wednesday.
"If we won a majority of seats but not a majority of votes and the Spanish government offered us a binding referendum on independence – though I am very skeptical about whether it would do so – then we would listen," he added.
Stating that he wanted an amicable secession with Spain, Mr Mas said that Catalonia would not pay its share of the Spanish debt if the Madrid government failed to accept it.
"If there is no agreement, we will have no obligation to pay Spanish debt," he said.
"If it does not make an agreement with Catalonia, how will Spain be able to pay back its debts, which will rise to 120 percent of its output, while it loses the most productive part of its economy?" he added.
"If things get as complicated as that - and there is no reason why they should - it is the whole of Spain that will have a problem."
See more here.
Earlier this month hundreds of thousands marched in Barcelona, calling for independence.
Around 80 percent of the 2.2 million voters called for secession in an unofficial referendum on independence that was rejected by the Spanish government in November last year.
See more here.
"Clearly, if we get a majority of the votes on September 27, then that's the referendum done," Mr Mas told AFP in an interview on Wednesday.
"If we won a majority of seats but not a majority of votes and the Spanish government offered us a binding referendum on independence – though I am very skeptical about whether it would do so – then we would listen," he added.
Stating that he wanted an amicable secession with Spain, Mr Mas said that Catalonia would not pay its share of the Spanish debt if the Madrid government failed to accept it.
"If there is no agreement, we will have no obligation to pay Spanish debt," he said.
"If it does not make an agreement with Catalonia, how will Spain be able to pay back its debts, which will rise to 120 percent of its output, while it loses the most productive part of its economy?" he added.
"If things get as complicated as that - and there is no reason why they should - it is the whole of Spain that will have a problem."
See more here.
Earlier this month hundreds of thousands marched in Barcelona, calling for independence.
Around 80 percent of the 2.2 million voters called for secession in an unofficial referendum on independence that was rejected by the Spanish government in November last year.
See more here.