If a majority backs the Catalan independence referendum in October, the ruling coalition has vowed to take action immediately.
There has been on-going conflict for many years whether or not Catalonia should remain as part of Spain, as the prosperous region argues it pays more out to the rest of the country than it gets back.
Catalonia is one of the richest regions in Spain, in terms of culture and industry. It also boasts its own language, that is still alive today, as well as its old customs and gastronomy.
This is being compared to the Scottish referendum back in 2014, which led to 55% of the population voting to remain as part of the UK. However, the situation is slightly different as Westminster accepted the Scottish referendum, whereas Madrid has rejected the idea on several occasions.
It is still unclear whether the referendum on independence will go ahead, but if so, regional leaders in Catalonia have said that they would leave Spain within 48 hours if the majority voted “yes”.
In 2014, a non-binding election was held, despite disapproval from Madrid. In that election, more than 80% supported the independence move, although it had a low turnout, where only 2.2 million out of 5.4 million of the eligible population voted.
Once details of the bill are in place after debates in the coming weeks, a formal draft will be sent to the Catalan legislature in August, in an attempt to prevent any blocking of the legislation by the Constitutional Court.