Spanish PM considering direct rule over Catalonian region

MADRID: Faced with Catalonian separatists’ efforts to break away from Spain, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has refused to rule out imposing direct rule over the region from Madrid.

To do that, he would need to invoke Article 155 of Spain’s constitution — a never-used provision that could open a legal Pandora’s box.

Thanks to its constitution, adopted in 1978 following decades of civil strife then dictatorial rule, Spain is one of the Western world’s most decentralised nations.

It has 17 semi-autonomous regions with varying degrees of control over issues such as education and healthcare.

Catalan leaders signed a declaration of independence from Spain on Tuesday, but immediately put it on hold and called for talks with Madrid.

Article 155 says that if a region’s government breaches its constitutional obligations or “acts in a way that seriously threatens the general interest of Spain”, Madrid can “take necessary measures to oblige it forcibly to comply or to protect said general interest”.

According to Javier Perez Royo of the University of Seville, measures could include “suspending the regional government, placing the (Catalan police force) Mossos d’Esquadra under the orders of the Interior Ministry” and even “closing the regional Parliament”.

But such measures risk inflaming tensions in a region that, though divided over the issue of secession, is proud of its relative autonomy. Rajoy could not invoke Article 155 unilaterally, however.

He would need to first inform Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont of his intention, allowing him a period of grace to fall in line. Next, Rajoy would turn to the Senate, Spain’s upper house where his Popular Party has an overall majority.

Perez Royo put the time frame closer to “eight to 10 days”. AFP