Artur Mas, the Catalan president, will tomorrow sign a decree calling an independence referendum in the Spanish region, in a move that sets the government in Barcelona on a collision course with Madrid.
The decree is to be issued on the basis of a referendum law that was passed by an overwhelming majority in the Catalan parliament last Friday. It is expected to trigger a legal challenge from Spain’s central government, which argues that a plebiscite on secession is not allowed under the Spanish constitution.
If it goes ahead, the Catalan plebiscite would take place on November 9, less than two months after a landmark in Scotland that saw 55 per cent of voters reject independence.
您已阅读44%（686字），剩余56%（862字）包含更多重要信息，订阅以继续探索完整内容，并享受更多专属服务。