State push to halt ballot

The Spanish government is unlikely to apply 155 of the Constitution. Not because it has not studied all the possible formulas for suspending self-government in Catalonia, but because it believes its strategy of fear over holding a referendum will be sufficient. The suspension of Artur Mas, Joana Ortega, Irene Rigau and Francesc Homs from public office for disobeying the ban on the 9-N ballot is the tip of the iceberg in the government's political and legal siege. On that occasion, the public prosecutor pursued only the “visible heads” and did not demand prison sentences. However, the next step will be to expand the range of targets to include others that can be implicated in the organisation of the referendum. In short, the policy is to “cut the grass” to the point that it will no longer grow.

An example is the notification received by Catalan firms working with the Catalan government, in which the Guardia Civil has demanded information about the services they provide. The idea is to find out whether these firms are contributing to so-called state structures or providing services to facilitate the referendum.

It is understood that society must remain informed of the illegality of any preparations for a referendum, something reflected in the Constitutional Court's recent ruling, which prevents the “tendering, execution or supervision of public contracts” that might lead to disobedience. The “consequences”, including prison sentences, apply not only to the Catalan government but also to anyone else who aids it. The strategy also applies to public servants involved in the preparations for a vote, including Mossos police officers, who will be charged with maintaining security on the day of any ballot.