Catalan Government officially calls referendum for October 1

The Catalan Government has officially called the referendum for October 1. President Puigdemont and all the ministers signed the decree which calls citizens to have their say on Catalan independence in a binding vote. They did it on Wednesday night at 11:30 pm despite a number of warnings from the Catalan opposition and the Spanish cabinet that by signing the decree, they could face criminal charges under Spanish law. 

After a 12-hour, very tense debate in Parliament in which lawmakers discussed whether the chamber’s regulations allow fast-tracking passage of the referendum bill, members eventually voted on and passed the legislation. According to the pro-independence parties in the Parliament, the law provides legal framework for the vote.

Soon after its passage, it was published in the government's official bulletin, and the Catalan executive and its secretary signed the decree. The logistics of the referendum have also been disclosed through another decree.