Spain Threatens to Suspend Catalonia’s Autonomy

Date: 11 October 2017 - 20:17

News ID: ۴۵۱۵۷

MADRID (AFP) -- Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday threatened to suspend Catalonia's regional autonomy after the region said it had a mandate to split from Madrid.
In a televised address Rajoy said that he had asked Catalan leaders to confirm if they had declared independence, "which is a requirement for any measure the government can adopt under Article 155 of the constitution."
Article 155 allows Madrid to impose central authority over its semi-autonomous regions.
Spain's government vowed to examine "all options" Wednesday in a crisis cabinet meeting hours after Catalonia's leaders said they had a mandate to declare independence but put it on hold, plunging the country into uncertainty.
Rajoy has vowed to do everything in his power to prevent the region's independence in a dispute that has hurled Spain into its deepest political crisis in decades.
He has refused to rule out imposing direct rule over the semi-autonomous region -- a move many fear could lead to unrest.
Rajoy called an emergency meeting after Catalonia's president Carles Puigdemont announced on Tuesday that he had accepted the mandate for "Catalonia to become an independent state" following a banned referendum earlier this month.
But in a parliamentary speech that left many confused, Puigdemont immediately called for Catalonia's independence to be suspended to allow for negotiations with the central government.
On Wednesday, a government source who refused to be named said "all options" were on the table as the crisis talks were under way.
At stake is the future of a region of 7.5 million people deeply divided over independence, one of Spain's economic powerhouses, whose drive to break away has raised concern for stability in the European Union.
Crowds of thousands gathered outside the parliament building in Barcelona on Tuesday evening, waving Catalan flags and banners screaming "democracy" in the hope of witnessing a historic night in a region that remains deeply divided over independence.
But Spain's political establishment rounded on Puigdemont following his declaration, and support among separatists in Catalonia was mixed.
The government stuck to its stance that it would not accept mediation or any talks until Catalan leaders drop their independence bid.
Following his declaration to parliament, Puigdemont and his allies signed an independence declaration outside the chamber, but its legal validity was unclear.
Spain and Catalonia now enter into the unknown, as Madrid has repeatedly said independence is not up for discussion.
Catalonia pressed ahead with an independence referendum on October 1 that the central government said breached Spain's constitution.
Spanish police cracked down on the polls, beating some voters as they closed down polling stations.
Around 90% of those who cast ballots voted for independence but the poll was poorly monitored and many Catalans opposed to secession boycotted it.
The crisis has caused deep uncertainty for businesses in one of the wealthiest regions in the eurozone's fourth-largest economy.
A string of companies have already moved their legal headquarters -- but not their employees -- from Catalonia to other parts of the country.