Catalonia: Spaniards wake up to a week of uncertainty

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Spaniards woke up Monday facing a week of political uncertainty, with Catalan President Carles Puigdemont expected to declare independence from Spain within a matter of days.

Puigdemont, the leader of Catalonia's secessionist movement, vowed to make the declaration following a divisive and controversial referendum on October 1 that he said was the resounding voice of the people. Madrid maintains that the vote was carried out illegally and the result is invalid. The standoff between Madrid and Barcelona has plunged Spain into its most serious political crisis in four decades, since the country transitioned to democracy. PROFILE: Catalan president has 'independence at his core' Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed on Saturday to use every tool within the law to stop any meaningful declaration of independence, including a never-before-used clause in the Spanish Constitution to suspend Catalonia's autonomy.

"We are going to stop independence from happening. On that, I can tell you with absolute frankness, that it will not happen. It is evident that we will take whatever decision that we are permitted to by law, in view of how things are unfolding," Rajoy told the El Pais newspaper in an interview. "The ideal scenario would be that there were no need for drastic solutions, but for that there would need to be rectifications."

Spaniards woke up Monday facing a week of political uncertainty, with Catalan President Carles Puigdemont expected to declare independence from Spain within a matter of days. Puigdemont, the leader of Catalonia's secessionist movement, vowed to make the declaration following a divisive and controversial referendum on October 1 that he said was the resounding voice of the people. Madrid maintains that the vote was carried out illegally and the result is invalid. The standoff between Madrid and Barcelona has plunged Spain into its most serious political crisis in four decades, since the country transitioned to democracy. PROFILE: Catalan president has 'independence at his core' Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed on Saturday to use every tool within the law to stop any meaningful declaration of independence, including a never-before-used clause in the Spanish Constitution to suspend Catalonia's autonomy.

"We are going to stop independence from happening. On that, I can tell you with absolute frankness, that it will not happen. It is evident that we will take whatever decision that we are permitted to by law, in view of how things are unfolding," Rajoy told the El Pais newspaper in an interview. "The ideal scenario would be that there were no need for drastic solutions, but for that there would need to be rectifications."

Catalan parliament to meet Tuesday

Spain's Constitutional Court last week suspended a session of the Catalan Parliament's scheduled for Monday following a request by the Catalan Socialist Party, which opposes secession. Members of Puidgemont's Popular Unity Candidacy party (CUP) had threatened to meet in Parliament on Monday anyway, in an act of defiance, but it is unclear if they will.

A Catalan Parliament spokesperson told CNN that a new session had been called for Tuesday at 6 p.m. (12:00 p.m. ET), in which Puigdemont is expected to update members on the "current political situation." Whatever happens this week, it's clear that there are deep divisions over the issue, not only between Madrid and Barcelona, but within Catalonia as well. On Sunday, protesters marched in Barcelona in support of remaining part of Spain, arguing there was no reason they couldn't be both Catalan and Spanish.

But protesters have also marched in favor of independence since the October 1 vote, claiming that the Catalan have a distinct culture from the rest of Spain and that they contribute more to the economy than the other regions.