Artur Mas: independence hero, or cynical politico clinging to power? The Catalan leader has upset the apple cart by calling early regional elections he says will be a referendum on self-rule. This will also avoid a messy poll in two years that might have seen his CiU coalition lose its majority. In recent weeks, Mas has gone from being Mariano Rajoy's partner in crime in supporting unprecedented austerity measures to rabble-rousing independence leader, suddenly pulling the rug from under a bemused and increasingly befuddled-looking prime minister. Mas met with Rajoy in September, pushing for a deal that would give Catalonia a bigger share of the tax revenue it generates for the central government. When Rajoy turned the deal down, Mas moved into brinkmanship mode and called snap elections for November 25 , two years ahead of schedule. On September 27, the Catalan parliament backed holding a referendum on independence, and now Mas is saying that the upcoming poll will be seen as a referendum on self-rule. Instead, let's cut to the chase. Like Rajoy, Mas has used the ongoing crisis as an excuse to begin radically restructuring Catalonia's public sector by cutting spending on health and education. Over the last two years, he has imposed 12-percent cuts in education, 11-percent in health care, along with a 15-percent cut in public sector wages, among others. In Congress in Madrid, Mas's CiU coalition has repeatedly voted for the Partido Popular's cuts, labour reform and tax increases. This is proving unpopular, as in