Brussels, 18/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Scottish referendum of Thursday 18 September could almost be seen as a dry run for the referendum on self-determination in Catalonia, which was announced on 18 November.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy feels that such processes are harmful to Europe. Madrid will do all in its power under the law to prevent the vote from being held in Barcelona, he added.
Addressing his Parliament on 16 September, Rajoy said that the referendums underway or to come in Europe would lead to economic recession and poverty. He went so far as to argue that separatist processes are “a torpedo launched at the waterline of the European spirit, because Europe was created to integrate the states, not to fragment them” (our translation).
On the same day, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Garcia Margallo also announced that the full force of the law would be used to block the Catalonian referendum.
On Friday 19 September, the Parliament of Catalonia is set to adopt the regional law convening the referendum. Subsequently, the Spanish government intends to bring an appeal against this law to the constitutional court, according to a European diplomatic source. The weekend is expected to see many extraordinary meetings of the ministers and the Council of State of Spain. (MD)