MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday his government had filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court as it seeks to invalidate a move by the Catalan assembly to press head with independence.
Catalonia's regional parliament voted on Monday to start a process towards secession, with the aim of forming a Catalan republic within 18 months.
"It's not just a reaction to a motion passed in parliament, this is about defending a whole country," Rajoy told a news conference after a cabinet meeting, adding the northeastern region would not be allowed to split from Spain.
(Reporting by Andres Gonzalez, Writing by Sarah White; Editing by Paul Day)