Spain’s threat to take control in Catalonia

SPAIN’S prime minister yesterday threatened to impose direct rule on Catalonia amid the confusion over whether the region had declared independence.

Mariano Rajoy accused Catalan president Carles Puigdemont of sowing ‘deliberate confusion’ after signing a symbolic declaration of independence on Tuesday before immediately halting its implementation to allow for talks with the central government in Madrid.

Mr Rajoy said he wanted to restore ‘calm’ after Spain plunged into its worst crisis in decades following the referendum in Catalonia on October 1 – which was declared invalid by the country’s constitutional court. It followed violent clashes between independence supporters and riot police sent in from outside the region to halt the poll by force.

Mr Rajoy threatened to trigger Article 155 of Spain’s constitution – described as the ‘nuclear option’ – if Catalonia’s leaders repeated their independence claim. It would allow the prime minister to suspend the region’s political autonomy and seize administrative control.

He said last night: ‘There is an urgent need to put an end to the situation that Catalonia is going through – to return it to safety, tranquillity and calm, and to do that as quickly as possible.’

The government has given no indication it is willing to negotiate with Catalonia, saying it did not accept any independence declaration and did not consider the referendum to be valid.