She is, she says, just doing her “patriotic duty” and that she is no politician. But a St Andrews University academic finds herself at the centre of a one of the most tumultuous events in recent western European history.

Clara Ponsati, an economics professor, this summer took a leave of absence top serve as education minister in Catalonia’s breakaway government. It will be her job to open schools for a ballot Spain says must not take place.

She told the Sunday Times: “You cannot keep a country together against the wishes of the people but the Madrid government seems to think Catalans don’t have the right to vote - or maybe even exist.”