Catalan independence referendum to be held within next four years, warns unionist MEP

Jordi Cañas, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and newly appointed spokesperson for Ciudadanos, warned that Catalan pro-independence parties "will do it again" and are "gathering forces" for a new referendum. 

Cañas voiced concern that the Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, might consider allowing an independence referendum to ensure political stability during his four-year term.  

"The Socialists will do whatever it takes to stay in power," he said, adding that the independence push "has already shown that Catalan secessionists are willing to do anything to achieve their goal." 

The unionist party Ciudadanos disappeared from the political landscape after record low results in the May 28 regional and local elections. In 2019, Ciudadanos was the third largest national political force with more than four million votes. 

Founded in Catalonia in 2006, the party vigorously opposed Catalan independence and positioned itself as the strongest unionist voice during the independence push, but with the entry of left-wing Podemos into the government and the rise of far-right Vox, Ciudadanos' political relevance plummeted.