Spanish PM dismisses Catalonia independence bid

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has described as illegal a referendum on Catalonia’s independence planned for November 9.

Speaking to the country’s parliament at his annual state of the nation debate, the premier said, “This referendum can’t take place, it is not legal.”

He told lawmakers that it’s the entire nation who must decide about the future of the country.

“It is the entire Spanish people who have the capacity to decide what Spain is. No one can unilaterally deprive the entire Spanish people of the right to decide on their future,” Rajoy added.

He made the remarks in response to Catalan lawmakers’ demand, who voted last month to hold a referendum on declaring independence from Spain.

The Catalan ruling coalition led by political chief, Artur Mas, and a majority of other parties in the northeastern Spanish region have called for a referendum on November 9 this year.

The vote would determine whether the territory should become an independent state and would ask two questions: “Do you think that Catalonia should be a State, yes or no?” and “If yes, do you want that State to be independent, yes or no?”

A recent poll in Catalonia has shown that many of the Catalan people back independence from Madrid, and say that they are fed-up with several years of recession in Spain among other issues.

However, the bid for an independence referendum appears doomed from the very beginning since Spain’s two largest national parties, the ruling conservative Popular Party and the main opposition Socialist Party are opposed to it.

Last week, Spain’s national parliament overwhelmingly approved a motion rejecting the referendum.