Hours later, the Catalan government said it would fight “tooth and nail to defend Catalonia’s democratically elected institutions” and the mandate it had received through the unilateral independence referendum held on 1 October. Puigdemont signed a declaration of independence on 10 October, but proposed that its effects be suspended for two months to allow for dialogue. The board of the Catalan parliament is due to meet on Monday to fix a date for the plenary session. Show Hide The Spanish government argues that any referendum on Catalan independence would be illegal because the country’s 1978 constitution makes no provision for a vote on self-determination. Opposition politicians in Catalonia responded to Rajoy’s proposals by urging Puigdemont to drop his independence plans and calm the situation by calling elections.

Source: The Guardian October 22, 2017 10:21 UTC