The Spanish Constitutional Court sided with the federal government in Madrid, halting all campaigning and other preparations for the upcoming vote on Catalonia's independence.

The referendum was signed Saturday by the autonomous region's president, Artur Mas, to place the independence questions on a Nov. 9 ballot.

But the court's decision could delay the vote up to five months, The Guardian reported.

The court unanimously agreed Monday evening, after a one-hour special meeting, to hear Madrid's challenge to the referendum, which will automatically suspend the referendum for up to five months.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy reacted to the referendum in much the same way the United Kingdom reacted to the push for independence by Scotland -- by rejecting the idea and saying the region is best served by remaining a party of the nation.

But a key difference from Scotland is the region of Catalonia has already been given certain powers to rule the region, but their economy is still tied to Spain. This is the largest point of contention for Catalans, who also have historically had a unique culture and have always chosen to speak their own language instead of adopting Spanish.

Catalonia is a strong economic center in Spain, known for being a large global fair and expo hub, and is the home of the well-known city of Barcelona, which is known for both its home soccer team and for being an international tech startup hub.

As a result, Catalans feel they are shouldering a larger portion of the economic burden of the country, especially at a time when Spain's economy is doing poorly.

Rajoy called the referendum for independence anti-democratic.

"We can't allow the will of a few to deprive everyone else of their rights," he told The Guaridan.

Rajoy had previously said he would fight the referendum through legal avenues without having to call in the military.

"When one party acts outside the legal framework and against the interests of the rest of us, it cannot be the obligation of the government to find an intermediate meeting point," he said.

The court said it would allow both parties to submit arguments, but Mas is focused on trying to lift the suspension on the Nov. 9 vote so it can go ahead as planned.

But regardless of the legal sanctions, Francesc Homs, the Catalan government's spokesperson, said that the region would pursue any possible routes to achieve independence.

"We won't just stand there with our arms crossed as if the game is over," Homs said.