Catalonia crisis escalates as Madrid takes over

Last updated: October 28, 2017 at 11:11 am

The Spanish Prime Minister has dissolved Catalonia's parliament and called an election after the region finally declared independence.

Mariano Rajoy invoked the emergency measures in response to Catalan MPs voting to break away from the Spanish state.

Yesterday’s motion passed with 70 votes for and 10 against, with two absent.

He said he would seek to declare the vote illegal.

Rajoy said Catalonia's police chief would be sacked and central government departments would take over functions from the regional parliament.

The Spanish government is shutting down Catalonia's foreign affairs department and dismissing its delegates in Brussels and Madrid.

Regional elections will be held on 21 December.

'We are not moving'

Rajoy said it was important to call fresh elections to ensure "nobody can act outside the law", but added "we never wanted to come to this point".

He said the aim was to return Catalonia to "normality and legality" as soon as possible.

Spain arrived at the constitutional crisis after officials in the northeatern region held an illegal independence referendum on 1 October.

The vote was marred by violence as national police intervened, but Catalan leaders said more than two million people turned out and that 92% wanted to break from Spain.

After independence was declared on Friday, thousands turned out to celebrate outside the Catalan government palace.

They watched events inside from two giant screens as they clapped and shouted "independence" in Catalan.

The motion, which was boycotted by opposition parties, said Catalonia was an independent, sovereign and social democratic state, and called on other countries and institutions to recognise it.

However, after the announcement from the Catalan parliament, Rajoy hinted that their celebrations would be short-lived by saying they had done "something that is not possible - declare independence".

The supporters who had gathered in Sant Jaume Square in Barcelona to hear the Catalan declaration were told of Rajoy's decision to sack the region's parliament.

A band took to the stage and the crowd defiantly began singing and dancing to music, shouting: "We are not moving."

'Ray of light' in Catalonia crisis

Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-separatist protesters took to the streets waving Spanish flags to demonstrate against the independence declaration.

Miquel Iceta, the leader of Catalonia's Socialists, welcomed Rajoy's announcement of a new election.

In a tweet, he said: "In the most sad day due to a wrong and irresponsible decision by the separatists, we see a ray of light."

The UK, Germany and France are among European powers to throw their weight behind Spain's prime minister.

"It is based on a vote that was declared illegal by the Spanish courts," said Downing Street.

"We continue to want to see the rule of law upheld, the Spanish constitution respected, and Spanish unity preserved."

Catalonia has its own distinct culture and language that was suppressed under the Franco regime, and independence supporters say the wealthy region contributes far more to Spain's economy than it gets back.

If the Spanish government does not act robustly against Catalonia's independence bid some fear other regions, such as the Basque country and Galicia, could also launch a renewed push to break away.