If Mariano wanted to offer Catalonia a fiscal pact, he should have done it a year ago. The Prime Minister has offered this to Artur Mas, but so late that the chances of any positive outcome are slim.
For his part, Artur Mas has gone past the point of no return, which could have been avoided if Rajoy's politics had been more skilful. What's true is that Mas is on a path toward secession and is controlled by the Republican Left of Catalonia.
Perhaps, the referendum will not happen and all we will see is an early election in Catalonia. It's hard to predict the future, although a failure to come to some sort of agreement will be catastrophic for Spain and Catalonia.
