Spain’s prime minister has told Catalonia that its referendum on independence is “illegal”.
Mariano Rajoy used the occasion of his state of the union address to declare that "this referendum can't take place, it is not legal".
He added: "It is the entire Spanish people who have the capacity to decide what Spain is."
He promised to block the vote.
Authorities in Catalonia have planned to hold their referendum on 9 November. Voters will be asked two questions – if they want Catalonia to be a state and if they want it to be an independent state.
In recent months, amidst rising tensions, the Catalan regional government has vowed to go ahead even if Madrid is against it.
But approval of the central government would be necessary in order for the referendum to be binding.
Last week the Spanish parliament voted overwhelmingly for a motion rejecting the referendum.
Catalonia is home to 7.5 million people and is one of Spain’s most productive regions. It enjoys a great deal of autonomy already, but the economic woes throughout the country have fanned the flames of Catalan discontent.
Opinion polls indicate that Catalan opinion is evenly divided on the issue.
The EU and Nato have warned that Catalonia would be excluded if it broke away from Spain.
