Spanish PM fires Catalan govt to halt secession

BARCELONA: Spain on Friday sacked Catalonia’s regional government, dissolved the Catalan Parliament and called a snap election in the region for Dec. 21, in a bid to draw a line under Spain’s worst political crisis in 40 years.

“We believe it is urgent to listen to Catalan citizens, to all of them, so that they can decide their future and nobody can act outside the law on their behalf,” Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in a televised speech.

Earlier, lawmakers in the Catalan Parliament voted to unilaterally declare independence. Rajoy’s conservative government called an emergency Cabinet meeting. The Spanish government could also seize control of the Catalan police force and the region’s publicly owned media outlets.

“Today, the Catalonia Parliament has approved something that in the opinion of a large majority of people not only goes against the law but is a criminal act,” Rajoy declared.

Rajoy said: “We never wanted to come to this point.” He said the aim is “to return (Catalonia) to normality and legality as soon as possible.”

Madrid taking away Catalonia’s regional powers is likely to be seen as a humiliation and a provocation by Catalans. A backlash is anticipated, with street protests planned for Sunday, while regional government workers could follow a policy of disobedience or non-cooperation.

After the vote on independence in the Catalan Parliament, an unprecedented challenge to Spain’s status quo, officials and lawmakers let loose cries of “Freedom!”

Outside Parliament, thousands who had gathered cheered the news, some dancing and raising a toast.

In Barcelona, people crowded around TV sets to watch the historical events unfold.

The famous St. Jaume square outside the regional government office was packed with thousands of people celebrating. Many of them were draped with the “Estelada” flag that adds a blue triangle to the red and yellow Catalan flag and has become a symbol of the separatist struggle.

“I feel so emotional after the huge fight we went through, we finally got it ... the independence of Catalonia!” said 74-year-old Rosalina Cordera Torelles.

Nearby, 24-year-old Rita Carboneras could hardly contain her excitement. “I’m super, super, super happy. Super excited,” she said. “So relieved. Now we are Catalan at last. We can be ourselves. We are just happy, look everyone around. Everything is so exciting.”