The government would invoke Article 155 of Spain’s constitution allowing it to strip Catalonia of its self-governance.
Spain’s central government announced Thursday it would quickly move to take control of the autonomous Catalonia and restore “constitutional order” after the region’s president refused to back away from a push for independence.
Spain’s government said it would hold a special Cabinet meeting and “approve the measures that will be sent to the Senate to protect the general interest of all Spaniards.”
Catalonia’s president Carles Puigdemont answered Spain’s demand for clarity by sending a second letter to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, stating that Catalonia’s suspension of its declaration of independence remains in force.
At the Cabinet meeting, the government would invoke Article 155 of Spain’s constitution allowing it to strip Catalonia of its self-governance. That would take effect on Saturday, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s office said in a statement.
The referendum went 90 percent in favor of independence, but with only about half of registered voters turning out. Massive street protests in favor of unity came a week after the vote.
The central government in Madrid on Thursday quickly responded that it would begin the legal procedures to implement Article 155 of the Spain’s 1978 constitution, which allows it to seize control of the regional government, finances and police.
Spaniards suffered badly in the past decade from the effects of the global financial crisis and home-grown economic problems.
