The government of Spain has declared that a referendum vote in the Catalonia region on independence would be “anti-democratic”.
Unlike the UK where such a vote over the future of Scotland was allowed, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he has appealed to Spain’s Constitutional Court to prevent the plebiscite.
The authorities in Catalonia, led by its president Artur Mas, have already faced much opposition from Madrid, but have nevertheless scheduled an independence vote for November 7.
“It’s false that the right to vote can be assigned unilaterally to one region about a matter that affects all Spaniards,” Mr Rajoy said in a statement following an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday morning. “It’s profoundly anti-democratic.”
Mr Mas had said the vote was legal because the result was non-binding: “Catalonia wants to express itself, it wants to be heard and it wants to vote.”
The Constitutional Court has the power to suspend the Catalan referendum. Its decision is final, with no right of appeal.
Recent polls indicate that a significant majority in the region favour having the right to vote, but the notion of independence from Spain attracts about 50%.
