Catalan business lobby group calls for fresh elections

Catalonia's most prominent business lobby group joined those calling on regional president Carles Puigdemont to hold fresh elections and to abstain from issuing a unilateral declaration of independence.

The Cercle d'Economia, who counts heavyweight Spanish and Catalan lenders such as Banco Sabadell and CaixaBank among its rank and file, said in a statement that: "The only option to channel the aspirations of both sides within the legal framework and in a climate of normalcy is to call new elections and abandon any talk of a unilateral declaration of independence."

Cercle's president, Juan Jose Bruguera, added that "the exit of firms [from the region] has combined with a growing societal divide leading to the real possibility of an immediate degradation of the region's autonomy. If not avoided in coming days, Catalonia may be headed towards an intense and prolonged period of anarchy and lawlessness, to the detriment of the average citizen."

With that in mind, Bruguera argues that an election would help to better define what the population's wishes are and also provide for a 'cool down' period for a society which is increasingly anxious and disoriented.

In his missive, Bruguera also warned of the "potentially dramatic" consequences the current situation might have on the economy.

Lastly, he pointed out that early elections would be both in Catalonia's best interests, but would also be in keeping with the suggestions made by the European Union and its member states.

"This is our message to the citizenry and our petition to the government with the hope that prudence will be its guiding principle. We are risking the loss of the social, political and economic achievements made since democracy was restored."