Catalonia’s secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont came under intense pressure to abandon plans to declare independence after hundreds of thousands of unionists took to the streets to protest against the split.
Organisers of this weekend’s peaceful protests said they represent the “silent majority”, and urged the Catalan president not to honour the result of the vote.
But there does not seem to be any sign of a compromise from either side, with Mr Puigdemont allegedly hoping to declare independence this week while Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy said he would not rule out suspending the region’s autonomy.
And now Spain has warned its government could be forced to take direct action if the independence announcement goes ahead.
Spain fears the Catalan parliament will vote for independence on Tuesday, when the Catalan leader is due to address the assembly in the wake of a banned October 1 referendum in which Catalan officials say people voted overwhelmingly for secession.
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Under Catalonia’s referendum law, deemed unconstitutional by Madrid, a vote on Tuesday would start a six-month process that would envisage divorce talks with Spain before regional elections and a final act of separation.
But the Spanish Government, buoyed by Sunday’s protests in Barcelona, the Catalan capital, made it clear on Monday it would respond immediately to any such vote.
Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamar said: ”I’m calling on the sensible people in the Catalan Government don’t jump off the edge because you’ll take the people with you.
“If there is a unilateral declaration of independence there will be decisions made to restore law and democracy.”
Mr Rajoy still has not ruled out removing Catalonia’s government and calling new regional elections if Puigdemont stays true to his words and claims independence.
The warnings suggest Spain will take direct action if pressed – having already deployed extra police officers and even members of the national army in the region to quell violent protests and install calm in Catalonia.
The Catalan High Court has asked for Spanish national police to provide extra security at the court building in case the Catalan parliament goes ahead with the independence decision.
The request was taken in order to increase the security of the building and to “guarantee its full and normal operation” in the event of a Catalan declaration of independence from Spain, the court said in a statement.
The stakes are high for Spain as it faces its biggest political crisis since it became a democracy four decades ago.
Losing Catalonia, which has its own language and culture, would deprive Spain of a fifth of its economic output and more than a quarter of exports.
The crisis has also reopened old divisions in a nation where fascism is a living memory easily revived by strong displays of nationalism.
Spain’s neighbours in Europe however have refused to support the illegal referendum, with the European Union showing no interest in an independent Catalonia while France said on Monday it would not recognise a unilateral independence declaration.
Today’s warning comes a day after 350,000 people took to the streets of Barcelona, waving Spanish and Catalan flags and carrying banners saying “Catalonia is Spain” and “Together we are stronger”.