By origin, his Union partners are Christian Democrats, keen on a decentralised set-up for Spain not because they want to wave the Catalan flag but because they believe in subsidiarity, decision-making at the lowest appropriate level.

ECONOMIST: A survey of Spain

Catalonia has its own flag and language -- Catalan -- and various analysts say the economic crisis has brought long-simmering nationalist sentiment to the forefront.

CNN: Ruling party in Catalonia region loses seats in parliament