The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Catalonia given deadline to clarify independence status
Mariano Rajoy issues formal demand
Spain’s prime minister has said the central government has given Catalonia’s leader a deadline of Monday to clarify whether he declared independence from Spain.
Mariano Rajoy said if Catalan president Carles Puigdemont’s response is that he indeed has formally proclaimed independence, he will have a few more days to drop the implementation of the declaration.
Both deadlines have been included in a formal demand sent to the Catalan government.
Mr Rajoy announced the measure yesterday in a veiled threat to trigger a constitutional article that could end with the suspension of Catalonia’s autonomous powers.
Mr Rajoy earlier said Mr Puigdemont’s response would be crucial in deciding “events over the coming days”.
The central government “wants to offer certainty to citizens” and it was “necessary to return tranquillity and calm”, he said following a special cabinet meeting.
Mr Rajoy’s demand was in response to Mr Puigdemont’s announcement that he was proceeding with a declaration of independence following the disputed secession referendum Catalonia held on October 1, but suspending the move for several weeks to facilitate negotiations.
Speaking in parliament yesterday, the prime minister said the referendum was part of a strategy “to impose independence that few want and is good for nobody”.
The ensuing crisis, he said, was “one of the most difficult times in our recent history”.
Mr Rajoy said Catalan authorities broke the law by holding the referendum and incited street protests to give an appearance of legitimacy to the vote.
He did not refer to the violence with which police cracked down on voting day but said “nobody can be proud of the image” Spain projected, adding the only ones to blame were the separatist leaders.