The BBC has today analysed the Spanish government's strategy against the Catalan independence referendum planned for 1st October. According to the British broadcaster, the Spanish government is doing everything it can behind the scenes to block the vote. "It's a game of cat and mouse" is their conclusion.
The BBC describes that "while the Civil Guard police force searches printworks for the ballot papers, the Catalan government has said it has 6,000 ballot boxes secretly stashed away". The broadcaster notes that Spain has ordered all its police forces to pursue the referendum, but admits that there are doubts as to who the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan police force, will eventually obey: Spain or Catalonia.