To do so, Rajoy would have to invoke Article 155 of Spain’s constitution, which would allow Madrid to take over the running of an autonomous region. “The ideal situation would be to not have to take drastic solutions, but for that to happen there would have to be rectifications.” “I am not ruling out anything that the law says,” he said. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy hinted to El Pais he would be ready to take control of Catalunya’s government.

Spain’s Interior Ministry has said thousands of extra Guardia Civil and National Police deployed to Catalunya would stay until October 18. Pro-independence demonstration in Brussels attracts 45,000 protestors Source: El Pais - Sat 9th Dec 2017 The Belgian police estimate that around 45,000 people attended a demonstration in Brussels today to call for independence for Catalonia, and for the European Union to alter its position on the secession drive. It comes after two of Catalunya’s largest banks, Sabadell and CaixaBank, announced they were moving their headquarters from the region.Įnergy supplier Gas Natural has also shifted its legal base to Madrid. It is rumoured that Puigdemont may instead use his speech to map out a path to independence. However, a member of Catalunya’s ruling coalition told the BBC ‘it wouldn’t happen now’. Meanwhile, Puigdemont is under growing pressure to delay declaring unilateral independence.Īround 90% of the 2.4 million Catalans who cast their ballot voted for independence. People chanted for Catalan leader Puigdemont to be arrested following last Sunday’s referendum. UNITY: Thousands march in Barcelona against Catalan independenceĬrowds waving Spanish flags brought the city centre to a standstill, with banners reading ‘Together we are better’ and ‘Enough! Let’s Recover Good Sense’. MORE than 350,000 pro-unity Catalans marched in Barcelona on Sunday ahead of Carles Puigdemont’s parliamentary address tomorrow.

Independence pro demo