Allowing a vote in Catalonia would be anti-democratic

A certain amount of regional autonomy is fine, but Spain must remain one unified country, writes former Spanish minister Ana Palacio.

Nothing brings concerned friends out of the woodwork like a crisis. That has certainly been the case with the current situation in Catalonia.

Among the many messages of support I have received in recent weeks, there have been more than a few inquiries as to why Spain does not simply allow the referendum to play out. But that was never an option.