Spain set to begin revoking Catalonia’s powers

● Region’s leader refuses to end his demands for independence

S p a i n’s g ove r n ment ye s t e r - day set in motion plans to take a way C a t a l o n i a’s d e v o l v e d powers after its regional presi dent r e f use d t o give up hi s d e man d s f o r C a t a l a n i n d e - pendence.

The constitutional law that Spain plans to invoke has never been used in the four deca d e s s i n c e d e mo c r a c y wa s restored after General Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.

C a t a l a n p r e s i d e n t C a r l e s Puigdemont s e nt a l et t er t o Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy just minutes before a deadline set by the central government for him to backtrack on his calls for secession. In it, Mr Puigdemont threatened to go ahead with a unilateral proclamation of inde - pendence if the government refuses to negotiate.

He wrote: “If the state government persists in blocking

0 Supporters of Catalan independence have demonstrated in several Spanish cities including Barcelona dialogue and the repression c o n t i n u e s , t h e P a r l i a m e n t of Catalonia will pro ceed, i f deemed appropriate, to vote on the formal declaration of independence.”

Spain responded by calling a special Cabinet session for tomorrow i n which i t plans to begin activating Article 155 of Spain’s 1978 constitution, which allows central authorities to take over all or some of the powers of any of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions, including Catalonia.

T h e C a b i n e t mee t i n g wi l l “approve t he measures t hat will b e sent to t he S enate to protect the general interest of all Spaniards,” a government statement said.

Spain’s government needs to outline the exact measures it wants to apply in Catalonia and submit them for a vote in Spain’s Senate.

The conservative ruling Popular Party’s majority in the top chamber would be enough to approve the measure, but Mr R a j oy h a s h e l d d i s c u s s i o n s with opposition leaders to rally further support.

The main opposition Sociali s t p a r t y h a s b a c k e d M r R ajoy’s moves to keep Spain united, but wants the Article 155 measures to be limited in scope and time.

Elsewhere, French president Emmanuel Macron reiterated his recent suppor t for Mr R ajoy, saying that a Europe - an Union summit in Brussels would be “marked by a mess a ge of unit y a r o und memb e r s t a t e s a m i d t h e c r i s e s they could face, unity around Spain”.

Mr Puigdemont addressed t he regional Catalan parlia - ment o n 10 Oct ob e r, s ay i ng he had the mandate under a banned 1 October referendum – in which more than 40 percent of Catalonia’s 5.5 million eligible voters are said to have cast a ballot – to declare inde - pendence from Spain. But he i mmediately susp ended the implementation of the secession proclamation and called for talks with Spain and international mediators.

Catalans would consider the application of Ar ticle 155 an “invasion” of the region’s selfgovernment.