No referendum on Catalonia’s independence

22012014

Catalonia’s independence on the rise, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has told local media there will be no referendum that “puts into question the sovereignty of the Spanish people” while he is head of the center-right government.

“The state is prepared for any scenario that may occur. The law will be enforced. There will be no referendum that calls into question the sovereignty of the Spanish people. There will be no independence of Spanish territory while I’m president [of the government],” Mariano Rajoy said in an interview on Antena 3 TV on Monday. 

Last month Catalonia’s regional government set a date for a referendum to vote on whether or not to separate from Spain for November 9. Madrid has condemned the decision as “unconstitutional,” and the government of Rajoy pledged to block the referendum. Last week Catalan politicians voted in favor of asking for the right to hold a referendum on independence from Spain, but Madrid has the legal power to say no, with Rajoy expected to use the national parliament and Supreme Court to block any move to hold a referendum.