A momentous day as the Spanish government takes control in Catalunya

New elections will be held on the 21st December as Article 155 is imposed

Friday the 27th October has been a historic day in Spanish politics, the Catalan parliament finally taking the plunge and declaring independence from Spain following a secret ballot.

The motion was passed with 70 votes in favour, 10 against and 2 abstentions, after each MP in the regional parliament completed his or her ballot paper in secret. MPs representing the PP, PSOE and Ciudadanos parties refused to take part in the vote on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, some of them leaving Spanish flags and Catalan Estelladas draped over their seats in the chamber while the voting took place.

Barely 45 minutes after the Catalan parliament voted to declare independence from Spain, the Senate (the upper house of the Spanish national parliament) voted overwhelmingly in favour of the government’s proposal to activate Article 155 of the Constitution and impose direct rule in Catalunya.
“Exceptional measures should only be adopted when no other remedy is possible,” Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said. “In my opinion there is no alternative. The only thing that can be done and should be done is to accept and comply with the law.”

The motion was passed with 214 votes in favour, 47 against and one abstention, and in consequence Carles Puigdemont, the president of the government, will be removed from office, as will the ministers in his government.

Other institutions will be placed under the control of the government in Madrid including the Catalan police force (the Mossos d'Esquadra), as a result of the agreement which has been reached in the most serious constitutional crisis in Spain since the failed coup d’etat in 1981 and the death of General Franco six years previously.

The Spanish cabinet held an emergency session and announced shortly after eight o’clock in the evening that the government was dissolving the Catalan parliament and would hold new elections in Catalunya on the 21st December to elect a new regional government.

In the meantime, under the terms of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, the government of Mariano Rajoy would take control of Catalunya.

“"Today is a sad day in which lack of reason has been imposed on the law and has demolished democracy in Catalonia," said Prime Minister Rajoy.

Throughout the day Spanish media has been inundated with debate, interviews and commentary about the developing events, the overwhelming tone one of condemnation for the actions of Carles Puigdemont and his success in dividing Spain, as although the “Rebublic” lasted less than 45 minutes, the divisions caused by the events in Catalunya since the illegal referendum have engulfed Spain.

The comments are best summarized by Carlos Carrizosa of the Ciutadans party who attacked Puigdemont and his followers, saying “You think you’re like gods, above the law. How can you imagine that you can impose independence like this without a majority in favour … and with this simulacrum of a referendum? Puigdemont will be remembered not for ruining Catalonia but for having divided the Catalans and Spain.”

The speech made by King Felipe following the illegal referendum has gone a long way to igniting a wave of nationalist sentiment across Spain, and calling on all Catalans who have no desire to leave the umbrella of Spain to come together in defense of a united nation.

The images of violent protest and confrontation between protestors and police have sobered Spain, shock, shame and deep anger expressed widely that these images have been portrayed abroad as being characteristic of the way in which democratic Spain is run. The international media has been strongly criticized for failing to fully explain the complexity of the Catalan situation, and accused of running Catalan propaganda without offering a balanced view of the run-up to the 1st October, in spite of the multiple court orders banning the illegal referendum in the year leading up to the 1st.

All eyes are on the Mossos tonight, their reaction and the degree of collaboration they are willing to undertake in order to support the temporary measures imposed by the Spanish government viewed as critical in order to ensure calm on the streets and a violence-free period of adjustment. Following the illegal referendum on 1st October the Mossos were widely criticized for failing to support the Guardia Civil and Policia nacional brought in by the Spanish government to prevent polling taking place, a lack of support which in some cases, endangered the lives of their colleagues. As a result of this, the head of the Mossos d’Esquadra, and other senior officers, are being investigated for sedition.

There are fears that violence could erupt as pro-independence supporters clash with police, although the aggression shown on the 1st October has lead to calls from across Spain for rationality and calm during this transition period.

Eva Granados of the Catalan socialist party summed up the feelings expressed by many people on Spanish media today saying, “Have you any idea how frightened many Catalans are?”.

The events of the last few weeks have not only left residents concerned about the conditions which could potentially be imposed on the region of Catalunya during the coming days but have also been a brutal and shocking wake up call for separatists who had underestimated the concerns of the business community, as dozens of businesses moved their fiscal headquarters from the region, the EU stood firmly by the Spanish government and emphasized in no uncertain terms that it would not back an independent Catalunya and the financial community undertook measures which will cost the region billions in lost revenue and jobs.

By Friday evening the Ibex-35 had fallen by 1.45% following the declaration of independence.

Tensions are expected to remain high over the next few days, and there may well be clashes should Catalan Civil Servants decide to adopt an unco-operative attitude as the take-over by the Spanish government unfolds over the next few days. Civil Servants went out on strike immediately after the illegal referendum and it is not unlikely that some of the more militant Civil Servants may decide to adopt similar tactics as the government removes officials from their offices and takes over the provision and control of essential services.

The regional prime minster and his cabinet have already been dismissed by the Spanish government and other officials are likely to follow, the likelihood being that some will be forcibly removed from office, potentially creating a backdrop for clashes.

Reaction across Europe has been strongly in favour of the actions undertaken by the Spanish government today, the British government summing up the reactions of EU nations such as Germany and France, saying, “The UK does not and will not recognise the Unilateral Declaration of Independence made by the Catalan regional parliament. It is based on a vote that was declared illegal by the Spanish courts. We continue to want to see the rule of law upheld, the Spanish Constitution respected, and Spanish unity preserved.

Donald Tusk, European Council president, commented on Twitter “For the EU nothing changes. Spain remains our only interlocutor,”

Tusk also urged Spain to favor “force of argument, not argument of force.”

Predictably, the Scottish government, which has keenly watched developments in Catalunya issued the following statement; "We understand and respect the position of the Catalan Government. While Spain has the right to oppose independence, the people of Catalonia must have the ability to determine their own future. Today’s Declaration of Independence came about only after repeated calls for dialogue were refused.

"Now, more than ever, the priority of all those who consider themselves friends and allies of Spain should be to encourage a process of dialogue to find a way forward that respects democracy and the rule of law. The imposition of direct rule cannot be the solution and should be of concern to democrats everywhere.

"The European Union has a political and moral responsibility to support dialogue to identify how the situation can be resolved peacefully and democratically.”

Around 17,000 people congregated in the plaza de sant jaume in Barcelona to celebrate the declaration of independence in a pre-organised event financed b y the Catalan government with music and entertainment laid on.

Around 40 protestors unfurled a giant Estelada banner in front of the Policia nacional building in the Via Laietana and there have also been reports of some local town halls in the region flying the Estalada Catalan flag.

By 9.30pm there were no reports of violent clashes.

Typically, the day ahs also been marked by Spanish humour, the closing headline in spoof news site El Mundo Today announcing that within a minute of the official announcement of independence, Movistar had sent an SMS message to all its Catalan clients informing them of their new, highly inflated roaming tariffs and the penalties for leaving the country in which they had signed their contract....

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