Violent protests, secession talk put pressure on Spanish Prime Minister

People wait in line at a government employment office in Madrid. Spain’s reluctance to seek a sovereign bailout – a condition for European Central Bank intervention to cut the country’s borrowing costs – could propel the eurozone into deeper trouble. — AFP

MADRID: Violent protests in Madrid and growing talk of secession in wealthy Catalonia are piling pressure on Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as he moves closer to asking Europe for rescue money.

Rajoy has been resisting calls from influential domestic bankers and the leaders of France and Italy to move quickly to request assistance, but a series of events this week will drive him closer.