I'm still supporting independent Catalonian Country.

In an ideal world Spain would stay Spain, but in an ideal world Madrid wouldn't act like it's based it's negotiating strategy on the written works of Donal Trump.

The Western World's recent habit of shooting itself in the foot continues...

And Madrid has just voted for direct rule. What fun.

Is that the smell of civil war?

I think it's unlikely. Still, time will tell.

Catalonia wanted to get away from Madrid's yoke for decades, they were unhappy for the union since almost the beginning. Under Franco's regime, this movement has been suppressed with every means possible. Yet a civil war is unlikely, the one that crippled Spain just before WWII is still fresh in their minds.
Though all people must have the state they wish, a separate Catalonia may be the beginning of many problems in Europe. Separation of Catalonia may be followed by others, a separate north Italy, a separate Scotland, a separate muslim west Thrace wakening Europe and causing mayhem (for the oldest between us, just remember what followed Croatian separation from Yugoslavia).

"Nation-states are obsolete." -Bertrand Russell

I'd vote for city-states, and let Staten Island secede to New Jersey.
Flanders, Brittany & the Isle of Man, Scotland -- they all have or had their own culture/language/usw. ....
Otherwise, revoke "Brexit.".

Nations have borders and borders limit the freedom of the people.
Nations have silly collectivistic ideas that limits the freedom of thought.
Nations have silly traditions that people feel obliged to consider.
Nations have power hungry leaders that go to war and people die for this power grabbing shit.
The idea of the nation state is promoted by idiots, so why believe in it?

... so Nations are a bad idea in so many ways making it hard to count them... :)

Nations are rulled by people.
Not The People, but a dozen individuals choosen by the rulling class.
The freedon are not limited by "nations", but by the rulling class.

In the case of Catalonia, both the Catalan nationalist and the Madrid government are focusing on the wrong thing!

If I was living in Catalonia or in Spain I would not give a shit in this independence issue. I would only care if, and if so, how this thing would affect my personal freedom and opportunities to influence things around me.

It's hard to comment. I'm generally not a fan of independists movements, unless they have a strong historical case to bolster their issues. Anyway Madrid has mishandled the issue. I find interesting EU position, though... The Union wants to seem strong and unbreakable now that Brexit talks are ongoing, but what would EU say if a post-Brexit independent Scotland would ask to join? I think that's the reason why in Bruxelles the refrain is "we support the spanish government BUT all of this is first and foremost an internal issue to Spain..."

Oklahoma for the Osage!