The standoff between Spain and the leaders of Catalonia, its autonomous northeastern region, has worsened in recent days. A new future awaits the region after December 21, the date Spanish Prime Minister Mariono Rajoy has set for elections for the regional government. Fresh elections could pave the way to peaceful co-existence, experts say — although the social and economic impact of the standoff likely will continue well into the future. Knowledge at Wharton gathered insights about the Catalonia-Spain impasse from Wharton management professor Mauro Guillen , Wharton finance professor Joao Gomes , Penn School of Arts and Sciences professor of political science Brendan O’Leary , and Becquer Seguin , assistant professor of Iberian Studies at Johns Hopkins University. (Gomes and Seguin shared their views on the Knowledge at Wharton show on Wharton Business Radio on SiriusXM channel 111 .…