The Spanish government has officially challenged the Catalonian region's bid for independence before the country's constitutional court.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says Catalonia's plans to hold a referendum on November the 9th are not compatible with the Spanish constitution.
The move comes after Catalonian President Artur Mas signed a decree over the weekend to launch what he's calling a "public consultation" to become an independent nation.
Mas says it's been the wish of hundreds of thousands of Catalans holding pro-independence demonstrations in the streets this week - many have been waving Scottish flags in solidarity with Scotland's recent attempt to separate from the UK.
Our Europe correspondent Sandra Gathmann says both Madrid and the Catalonian authorities appear confident they will get their desired outcome:
IN: On Monday...
OUT: ...as well.
SOC: 32 seconds
Our Europe correspondent Sandra Gathmann explains that for now, the referendum process has been frozen.
IN: While Spain's...
OUT: …autonomy.
SOC: 32 seconds