(VOVworld) - Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday that his government will appeal to the Constitutional Court a decision by the regional parliament of Catalonia to establish an independent state.

Regional acting president Artur Mas speaks at the Parliament in Barcelona, Spain, on Nov. 9, 2015. (Photo: Manu Fernandez /AP)

Rajoy said the appeal will be filed on Wednesday at the latest, following an emergency cabinet meeting, and reaffirmed that his administration intends to protect Spain’s territorial integrity.

Rajoy said Catalonia’s lawmakers adopted the resolution as a provocative act, going counter to the Spanish Constitution, law, and the wishes of a majority of Spanish people, including Catalonians.

The resolution calls for the Catalonian parliament to develop a new legal system within 30 days, a new social and security system, and a budget separate from the central government in Madrid, and complete the secession within 18 months.