Spain PM vows to use ‘all means’ to block Catalan independence bid

But Mas faces an uphill battle: he is seeking the support of the leftist Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), whose 10 seats would give the pro-secession parties an outright majority in the assembly, but they are refusing due to his austerity politics and corruption allegations against his Convergence party.

Catalan pro-independence parties won a majority of 72 in the 135-seat Catalan parliament in September 27 elections.

However, the resolution proposed by the new parliamentary president, Carme Forcadell, states explicitly that “the process of democratic disconnection [from Spain] will not be subject to decisions made by the institutions of the Spanish state and in particular the constitutional court”, which she said has been “delegitimised”.

The President-in-Office of the regional government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, called for early elections last August billing them as a plebiscite on independence from Spain. That election set the region on a collision course with Spain’s central government over independence, less than two months before a general election.

She has been heavily criticised by political groups that reject full independence for Spain’s regional economic powerhouse, home to 7.5 million people, who accuse her of representing a vocal minority only.

Rajoy has faced growing pressure within his party to mount a tougher defence of a unified Spanish state.

Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera called the independence bill a “challenge to democracy” and called on the government to take the matter to the constitutional court.

Polls show Catalans overwhelmingly support the right for a secession referendum but are evenly divided over independence.

“Mariano Rajoy would have loved to avoid the topic of Catalonia because he will go down in history as the head of government under whose watch Catalan separatists won an absolute majority in parliament”, said political analyst Josep Ramoneda.

The “democratic mandate based on the result of the elections held on September 27, is aimed at creation of independent and sovereign Catalan state…”, the first article reads according to Reuters.