The Catalan government in Barcelona will trigger a process of secession without the approval of Madrid.

The Speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Raül Romeva, told the Guardian that Barcelona will move towards a non-consensual process, even against the letter of the Spanish Constitution and, if need be, defying the ruling of the Constitutional Court.

The new tone emanating from Barcelona is a reaction to a scandal that erupted in June when the left wing news website Público revealed a recordi...