Spain: Rajoy says he will sack Catalan government, call regional elections

Many Polls in Spain show
Carles Puigdemont should be locked up

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Saturday (October 21) said he would curb the powers of Catalonia’s parliament, sack its government and call a regional election within six months in a bid to stop efforts by the autonomous region to break away from Spain.

Rajoy said his government had taken the unprecedented decision to restore the law, make sure regional institutions were neutral, and to guarantee public services and economic activity as well as preserve the civil rights of all citizens.

The measures must now be approved by Spain’s upper house, the Senate, where a vote is scheduled for October 27.

Rajoy’s speech came after Spain’s central government met to discuss establishing control of the wealthy northeastern region following the referendum on secession three weeks ago.

Madrid says suspending some of Catalonia’s autonomy – a move that could be applied under Article 155 of the Spanish constitution – would guarantee “freedom, security and plurality” in the face of “rebellious disobedience.”

Rajoy said the goal of such measures, “is to go back to legality because it cannot be a portion of a country where law is not applied, where law doesn’t exist. And at the same time we need to go back to institutional normality.”

The country’s head of state King Felipe said he supports the central government’s stance, and affirmed the unity of Spain. He says “Catalonia is and will remain an essential part.”

“Spain needs to face up to an unacceptable secession attempt on its national territory, which it will resolve using legitimate democratic institutions, respecting our constitution, adhering to the values and principles of the parliamentary democracy in which we have lived for 39 years,” he added.

Note EU-Digest: The latest Spanish polls show that in the opinion of the majority of the Spanish  population PM Mariano Rajoy is considered being far to lenient to Carles Puigdemont. They find by a large majority that Puigdemont, like the two other party leaders of this illegal rebellious movement against the state of Spain, should also be locked up

Read more: Rajoy says he will sack Catalan government, call regional elections | Euronews

Spain-Catalonia: Tens of thousands rally in Spain to avoid Catalan split

Tens of thousands of people joined protests across Spain on Saturday calling for an end to the political crisis that has rocked the country since Catalan authorities held a barred independence referendum last Sunday.

In 50 cities, including Madrid and Barcelona, thousands of people gathered under the motto "Let's talk" and called for leaders from Madrid and Barcelona to enter peaceful negotiations to end the crisis. Organizers urged the crowds at both sites to wear white T-shirts and not to bring any Spanish or Catalan flags.

Ninety percent of those who voted opted for independence, according to the official vote tally released by the Catalan government on Friday. But turnout was only 43 percent. The final figures approximated the preliminary results released immediately after the referendum.

Former Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez on Saturday joined calls for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to invoke Article 155 of the constitution. The article is described as being "for exceptional cases only" such as when a region’s failure to obey laws "gravely damages Spain’s general interest." It has never been invoked before.

On Tuesday, Spain's King Felipe VI accused the Catalan authorities of "disloyalty" and said the central government needed to ensure "constitutional order."

Read more: Tens of thousands rally in Spain to avoid Catalan split | News | DW | 07.10.2017