[ONLINE.WSJ] Political leaders in Spain's wealthy Catalonia region have set a date for a referendum on declaring independence, but the Spanish prime minister flatly stated such a vote was unconstitutional and wouldn't be permitted.
The preparation for a secession vote in Catalonia, which has long chafed under what it calls economic and cultural dominance from Madrid, sets Spain's leading industrial region on a collision course with the central government. The stakes for both sides are enormous and the outcome hard to predict. |