Spanish intellectuals speak out against Catalan independence "Several hundred intellectuals and professionals have signed a call in favour of federalism and the left to respond to the growing secessionism being pushed by ... the Catalonia government and other nationalist political forces," said the manifesto, published in leading daily El Pais, that collected almost 300 signatories. He has centred his campaign on plans to ask the region's 7.5 million inhabitants whether they want to breakaway from Spain, despite Madrid's insistence that such a referendum would be unconstitutional. The wealthy but heavily indebted region of Catalonia has been in open conflict with the central government over its budget and right to impose taxes. On September 11 pro-independence demonstrators flooded the streets of the region's capital Barcelona with a show of force estimated to be around 1.5 million people. Recent polls show 81 per cent are in favour of a referendum with some 53 per cent saying they would vote in favour of independence if Catalonia could become a separate state within the European Union. However, Brussels has warned that Catalonia would not be allowed to remain in the European Union should it decide to split from Spain and would face a long and complicated process to be readmitted.