In Spain, Political Crisis Hurts Catalan Independence

Spain's political fragmentation is hurting the Catalan independence movement. Public support for pro-independence parties is weakening as voters turn to new parties such as the centrist Ciudadanos and left-wing Podemos, which criticize the establishment but oppose independence.

The Catalan government wants to use the regional elections scheduled for Sept. 27 to advance the independence process. However, the new political parties' electoral growth will make reaching a majority in the Catalan Parliament harder for the pro-independence camp, weakening the secessionist movement in the region.