Artur Más, the President of Catalonia, has defied Madrid and ordered a “referendum” on independence to be called for the 9th November.
Madrid has already told Catalonia it can’t hold the vote, but Barcelona has said “tough, we’re going to anyway”.
Más said in the regional parliament today that the Catalonia question was more like Scotland than Crimea, and that it was a pity that Madrid couldn’t be more like London and follow the proper democratic process it claims to embrace.
When confronted by the local head of the PP, Más dismissed claims he was exceeding his authority. “It’s a consultation, and if it’s a consultation how can you deny us the right to put up the voting booths?” he challenged her. “I don’t know how to consult the people without a vote, if you have a better idea, tell us and we’ll listen”.
The question is likely to be along the lines of whether Catalans want autonomy from Spain and self determination.