EU 21st Century: Game Over for Catalunya's Independence Dream?

LIVE BLOG

UPDATE 21 OCT 21.30 CET

Carles Puigdemont in his institutional declaration from the Palace of the Generalitat has condemned the decision made earlier today by the central Spanish government to dismiss the local cabinet and to severely restrict the activities of the parliament of Catalunya until new elections, in six months at the latest.

Man of the hour: Carles Puigdemont,
President of the Generalitat -- dismissed by Rajoy

Puigdemont said he will ask for a plenary session of the Catalan parliament to be held as soon as possible in order to discuss Madrid's enactment of Art. 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which he qualified as a hostile move towards the Catalan people and the worst measure taken against the region since the days of Franco's dictatorship (1939-1975).

He spoke in Catalan, but also in Castillan (official language of Spain) and in English, in an effort to carry his message directly to all communities concerned by the crisis.

UPDATE 21 OCT 19:30 CET

The President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government) Carles Puigdemont will make at 21:00 CET an 'Institutional Declaration' from the Governmental Palace. It should be transmitted live by TV3 .

The president of the Catalan parliament just finished a live public address, in which she accused Rajoy of irresponsibility. She also demanded the release of the 'two Jordis' (see previous update).

UPDATE 21 OCT 18.00 CET

The popular rally announced earlier has begun, from Passeig de Gràcia and is spilling over to the neighbouring avenues and streets, from calle Aragòn to Gran Via. The police has estimated that 450,000 persons joined the march. The Catalan government, members of the parliament and other personalities are heading the masses.

Slogans seen and heard: Independence, Democracy, Help Catalunya, Freedom, and Free the Jordis--a reference to Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, two activists who have been jailed unconditionally and without the right to bail, for having facilitated secessionist demonstrations in the past few months.

The march had been scheduled for today by coincidence, but the application of Art. 155 has now given it a different meaning and dimension.

Live stream and News as they come

RAJOY ENACTS ART. 155 OF THE CONSTITUTION

Game over for Catalunya’s independence dream? The Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced this afternoon the decision of his cabinet to enact Art.155 of the national Constitution with the intention to halt the autonomous region's aspirations for secession.

The activation of Art. 155 was subsequently confirmed, a few minutes ago, by the Secretariat of the Senate (‘Mesa del Senato’), whose approval is required, with six votes in favour and one against.

The main provisions of Art. 155 to be put in place immediately or progressively, are as follows:

- The national government has the possibility to dissolve the Catalan Parliament. Rajoy would like to hold elections in the troubled region by the end of January 2018, in the hope that in the meantime the separatist movement will weaken. Members of his government would prefer the elections to be held in six months.

- Now that the Senate has approved the plan, the regional government (‘Generalitat’) will be dissolved in the coming hours. Its duties will be performed by the respective national ministers, granting Madrid direct rule over its autonomous province. This is a first in modern Spanish history since the adoption of the system of a parliamentary monarchy in 1975.

- The Genaralitat will continue to function under new management, as said above in order to serve s usual the community.

- The Catalan Parliament will probably remain in place until the elections, in view of representing the citizens, but it will not have the right to propose a candidate for the presidency of the Generalitat.

- Other public functions will be under the control of the national government. These include: transports, communications, postal services, broadcast, IT, public finance, public order. To secure the latter, the local police will have a cosmetic role, at least until the next elections. Its powers and overall security for Catalunya will be assumed by the national police and the omnipotent Guardia Civil (gendarmerie, or national guard). The army might also be asked to intervene. Units of these forces are already in movement towards the region.

The reactions of the Catalan political parties are largely those of dismay, with a pronounced feeling of injustice and betrayal. The attitude of the King and of the government has repeatedly qualified as ‘coup d’état’, autocratic, and as exceeding even the harsh measures taken in the past against the Catalans by the Spanish dictator Generalissimo Franceso Franco.