Catalonia declares independence, Madrid counters with direct rule

Minutes after Catalonia’s parliament declared independence on Friday afternoon, Spain’s senate voted to take direct rule over Catalonia.

Madrid will hold a special government cabinet meeting at 18h CET to enforce direct rule over the north-east region, which would mean Spain taking control of the region’s police, finances, and public media.

Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s prime minister, also wants the power to call regional elections in Catalonia within six months.

However, how Madrid’s direct rule would play out in practice is still unknown – our reporter Alasdair Sandford has had a go here.

The main secessionist group in Catalonia called on civil servants to not follow orders from Madrid and instead to respond with ‘peaceful resistance’.

In summary

Catalonia's parliament declares independence from Spain

The move is in defiance of Madrid, who, at the same time, preparing to impose direct rule on the region.

Declaration likely to be just symbolic as neither Spain or its international allies will recognise it.

Yesterday Catalan chief Carles Puigdemont rejected the chance to call for regional elections.

He was expected to announce them in a bid to diffuse tensions with Madrid

Madrid is angry the region went ahead with a referendum on independence on October 1.

It's Spain's worst political crisis since the end of the military dictatorship of Francisco Franco in 1975.

SOURCE: euronews
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