Catalonia business lobby ‘worried by any declaration of independence’

The influential Catalan business lobby Cercle d’Economia said on Wednesday it was extremely worried by the prospect of Catalonia declaring independence from Spain, Reuters reports. It also called for leaders from both sides to start talks. “Such a declaration would plunge the country into an extraordinarily complex situation with unknown, but very serious consequences,” the lobby said. It condemned Sunday’s violence, saying Catalan-Spanish relationships had deteriorated as a consequence, after Spanish police were seen beating Catalans attempting to cast a ballot in a referendum labeled as illegal by the government in Madrid.