Young people play cards on a Catalan flag in Barcelona on October 10, 2017 as Catalonia's regional leader was addressing parliament in a highly anticipated session that could spell the birth of a new republic, marking a critical point in a decade-long standoff between Catalan separatists and Spain's central authorities. Francisco Seco / AP
Young people play cards on a Catalan flag in Barcelona on October 10, 2017 as Catalonia's regional leader was addressing parliament in a highly anticipated session that could spell the birth of a new Show more
What Kurdistan can learn about secession from Spain
Both Erbil and Catalonia have pushed too far, too fast for independence and damaged their movements. But there is still a way out, writes Faisal Al Yafai