Catalonia’s long-awaited and bitterly controversial referendum on independence from Spain will be finally held on October 1, the regional government announced on Friday, triggering yet another political and judicial showdown with Madrid, The Guardian reports.
The Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, said that voters in the unilateral referendum would be asked the question: “Do you want Catalonia to be an independent country in the form of a republic?”