BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- As the local government of Catalonia prepares to hold an independence referendum, outright ignorning Madrid's attempt to criminalize the region's strives for independence, local and European markets face uncertainty as the influence and stability of the Spanish government is called into public question.
On Monday, Madrid asked local courts to declare Catalonia's independence referendum unlawful, but Catalan leader Artur Mas, backed by two-thirds of the local government in Catalonia, formed a referendum commission on Thursday to oversee the intended Nov. 9 vote.