In the middle of our European Union, in one of the country member, Spain, an autonomous region, called Catalonia is holding a referendum on October 1 to decide to stay in Spain, as part of the Kingdom or become an independent republic.

Without arguing all the historical issues and who has more right to decide the future of this region, Spain or Catalonia, the fact is that Catalonia has decided to hold this referendum.

In the last week a lot of pressure was put from the Spanish central government to prevent any action to allow the referendum, there were some decision of the central constitutional court of Spain which ordered to cancel all the activity about the referendum and there were some decisions taken by the Catalonian government to prevent the enforcement of the central government rules in Catalonia.

Due to this institutional conflict on Friday Spain has decided to act unilaterally in the region, sending the paramilitary police Guardia Civil to arrest some Catalonian leaders, involved in organizing the referendum, in the seizure of 9 mio of poll cards and take over of the financial institution of the "de facto " break away local government of Catalonia.

It is to notice that the Catalonian government, during all the years of autonomy from the central Madrid government, has implemented also a modern equipped and relevant in power local police force, named Mossos d'esquadra (cca 17.000 armed policemen), which seems to represent the real military threat to the central Spanish government. Due to that, in the last 24 h, the central Ministry of Interior Affairs decided, or better ordered to take over the control also the local police forces, but seems that the Mossos d´esquadra has refused any interference from Madrid and will back up the Catalonian government instead.

Still trying to prevent any referendum activity and in order to take over the control directly with the force, Madrid has decided to send to Catalonia his police and paramilitary armed force. The really funny issue is that to avoid any street protest, the central government sent the police reinforcement per sea using 3 commercial ferry boats, one of them painted with figures from Looney Tunes (amazing). All the 3 ships are docked in the Barcelona harbor and are there to function as local base for central police forces.

This is really quite strange and not per EU standard, if a police force, with all legal power overall Spain has to come with a Looney Tunes commercial ship as camouflage to take over a control is a bad choice and will just push ahead the Catalonian to vote and also will likely work against Spain interests allowing also the "non still decided"voters and the moderated voters "against" to cast the vote to leave Spain.

I personally enjoyed a lot every holiday in Spain, should be Catalonia (Barcelona) or Madrid or the Canarian island, but this time I am not following the movements of the Spanish central government. Preventing to search a constructive dialogue (which is the only right way) with the break away region, which has more than 7 million inhabitants, trying to show just the muscles to keep control over this region, without having any real feeling with the local population, which is predominantly Catalonian, will bring this issue to levels which we never have seen in the EU.

EU is a democratic union of states and it is quite embarrassing to watch or listen to a complete black out of the EU institution about this issue. No one in Bruxelles is acting like a leader, no one is taking any care or trying to prevent what is already on the bad path to move ahead to an armed confrontation in the middle of the EU between 2 well armed police forces (hoping excluding the military power), which will defend each the law and the orders of its own government.

Recently, in the 90 we have seen just one similar scenario in the Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia) and we all know the results. There were 3 civil wars, a lot of killed persons and damages, but by the end 3 news states were formed. The scenario was very similar, somebody from Belgrade central state tried to size local government buildings, stop financial transaction to prevent autonomy and finally sending police and military force to take over with force the break away local government. The answer was to cut electrical power, water, food and communication to the military barracks, to arrest central police and military officers and sometimes also family members, to block all the infrastructures (bridges, highways, airport, harbors) with tractors, lorries, containers and civil heavy equipment and unfortunately after the first shot, started the Balkan war, but........no central government anymore.

So why nobody is handling this issue in a modern way. Seems that after the last events, Catalonia probably will become a new state and not due to the referendum, which before the Spanish forced intervention in the area, had a quite negative prevision of success, but after this week, is becoming relevant and probably overwhelming positive for secession from Spain.

Is that worth ? Is that really the best solution to have once again new borders in the EU ? This time, taking in consideration also all the possible bad behavior of the Catalonian government, I have to say : Spain, please cool down this issue, allow the referendum and accept the result trying to achieve the best result for the rest of Spain, but withdraw the "Looney Tunes" Armada, because there is no need of any bullet shoot in Catalonia, really not. You can live as good neighbours also in the future even if Catalonia will be an Independent Republic achieving a 700 old dream. Please Spain: note that allowing a referendum is part of democracy as well please Catalonia, accepting the negative result of the referendum is also part of democracy !!

All the best to Spain and Catalonia and do not allow a single shot, because the reaction chain is just more blood and we, in Europe want peace and I wish you both to have the wisdom to fight for your ideas without guns, rifles and similar stupidity.