AKIPRESS.COM - Spanish judges ruled on Tuesday that a planned independence referendum in Catalonia was illegal, dealing a blow to the indebted region's drive for self-rule, 7News reported.

The northeastern region vowed to push on with the vote, however, defying fierce resistance from the national government, which has called for unity as Spain crawls out of its economic crisis.

Under Spain's constitution a region “cannot unilaterally call a referendum on self-determination to decide on its integration in Spain”, according to a written summary of the ruling released by the Constitutional Court.

It ruled “unconstitutional and null” a declaration by the Catalan regional parliament which claimed Catalonia had a sovereign right to hold a vote on its future.

The court upheld a legal challenge by the national government to that declaration and said any “right to decide” by Catalans could only be exercised in accordance with Spain's 1978 constitution, which insists on the unity of Spain.

Leaders in Catalonia have called the referendum for November 9 to ask Catalans whether their region should be a separate, independent state.

Many Catalans have drawn a comparison with Scotland, whose leaders are holding a referendum in September on independence from Britain – a move authorized by the British government.

Spain's conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has argued that Catalonia cannot hold a referendum like Scotland because Spain, unlike Britain, has a written constitution that rules out such a move.

Catalonia is home to 7.5 million of Spain's total population of 46 million people. It accounts for more than a fifth of Spain's economic output and a quarter of its exports.