Recommended Reads 25 September 2012

Updated: 9:26pm ET

I will be updating this list throughout the day.

Scotsman: Catalonia President calls elections
"After making the announcement yesterday, he said he would not stand again “once Catalunya had decided on its ­national objectives”, adding: “Elections are almost always a time of confrontation between political parties, but the times we are living in demand a ­higher awareness of the necessities of the state and a large dose of self-sacrifice.”

San Francisco Chronicle: Rajoy Nemesis Opens Catalonia Front in Europe
"Rajoy says Mas’s proposal to keep more of its tax revenue would violate the constitution. The document, which dates back to Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy in 1978, can’t be changed, Rajoy says. The constitution was amended last year for the second time when the two biggest parties agreed to add a clause on budget discipline."

Bloomberg: Rajoy Defied as Catalan Head Seeking Autonomy Calls Vote
“The impressive demonstration on Sept. 11 and the refusal to negotiate the fiscal pact oblige me to be consistent with my ideas and commitments,” Mas said today. “This is the time to take a risk, above and beyond personal comfort or party interests.”

New York Times: Protesters Encircle Spanish Parliament (but article is mostly about Catalonia)
"“The voice of the street needs to be moved to the ballot boxes,” the president of Catalonia, Artur Mas, told lawmakers at the regional Parliament. “We want to have the same instruments that other nations have in order to develop their own collective identity.”"

Financial Times: Secession crisis heaps pain on Spain
“The hour has come to exercise our right to self rule,” said Artur Mas, Catalonia’s president. He called the vote, which is likely to be cast as a proxy referendum on Catalan independence, after Mr Rajoy last week rejected his demands for greater fiscal autonomy, triggering a wave of nationalist sentiment in the northern region."

AFP: Catalonia calls snap vote in Spain crisis
"The sharing of sacrifices between the state and the regions is very unfair," Mas said. "The result is that the biggest cuts have to be made in health and education, which are the main responsibilities of the regions."

CNBC: Catalonia: The Next Independent State in Europe?
"This week, the Catalan parliament is set to approve a resolution that would create a referendum on independence. Eighty-three of the 135 deputies in the regional parliament support independence."

Irish Times:
Spain's fiscal crisis exposes deep regional fault lines by Paddy Woodworth
"There are times when the PP seems the best ally of its worst enemies. "

Financial Times: Madrid faces regional funding backlash by Miles Johnson in Madrid
"Madrid faces a backlash from its own conservative supporters over attempts to calm separatist tensions in Catalonia, hampering efforts by Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, to avoid a constitutional crisis."

Telegraph: Be Very Careful, Beloved Spain, by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
"Be that as it may, what we have in Spain is a disturbing turn of events."