Spain’s prime minister vowed on Tuesday to defend the country’s unity and dismissed a new proposal by two secessionist parties to have Catalonia’s regional parliament announce the beginning of a process to form a new state.

In a special address carried live on national television, Mariano Rajoy, called the proposal an act of provocation that was “contrary to the constitution, the law, the feelings of the majority of Catalans and the democratic will of Spaniards”.

“Those who want to separate and divide Catalonia from Spain should know that they will not achieve this,” he said.

Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people in north-east Spain, is responsible for nearly a fifth of the country’s economic output and residents have long prided themselves on their separate language and culture.

Polls show Catalans overwhelmingly support the right to hold a secession referendum, but are roughly evenly divided over independence. In an election in September, the pro-independence camp won 72 of the Catalan parliament’s 135 seats, but only 48% of the popular vote.

Tuesday’s proposition was filed by the Junts pel Sí or Together for Yes alliance that won 62 seats in September’s election, along with the radical left Candidatura d’Unitat Popular (CUP), which won 10 seats.

It calls for the parliament, which is based in Barcelona, to vote on the motion quickly, but it is unlikely to have more than symbolic importance because the region has yet to form a new government.

No date was set for the vote.

The motion calls on parliament to pass laws within 30 days that would allow the region push ahead toward creating a separate constitution, social security system and treasury. It also says the process would not be subject to decisions made by Spain’s institutions, including the constitutional court.

Junts pel Sí is headed by the acting Catalan president, Artur Mas, who is now in negotiations with the CUP to try to form a new government after failing to get win a majority. The CUP, however, has said it will not support Mas as president.