“As of now, Spain’s central government hopes to avoid further political and economic damage to the prominent northeastern region of Catalonia due to its bid to secede by imposing direct rule,” Prime minister Mariano Rajoy told parliament on Wednesday.
In a hasty attempt to protect their business interests, more than a thousand firms have relocated their legal headquarters out of the Catalan region to avoid instability that has been brought on by the independence bid, according to the companies registry, and this level of uncertainty has pushed Madrid to cut economic forecasts.
Mr. Puigdemont had some scathing words to add to this treatment by Madrid by stating that the implementation of Article 155 of the country’s constitution, Mr. Rajoy has set out to “humiliate” Catalonia in an “attack on democracy.”
He said removing powers from the Catalan people to govern themselves was the “worst attack against the people of Catalonia since the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.” He added that with this taking place, he wanted the parliament to meet in a session where the representatives of the citizens’ sovereignty would be able to decide on the region’s fate and how precisely the shift of control and power will be handed over.
Catalonia’s government currently runs its own policing, education, and healthcare, which if taken over by Madrid would leave the region without any say as to how its people are governed.
Today will bring more clarity to the situation when Mr. Puigdemont is expected to make a last effort to stall the decision of Article 155 and to bring back some measure of control to the Catalan people.
It’s difficult to say which way this is going to go again. The Catalan people are fiercely in support of their identity and independence, which makes the central government’s attempt to take power all the more damning in the eyes of those who value these guiding principles. The world is watching Spain, that should be something to mull on as time passes and this decision begins to stir up new resentment.
Follow Catalonia’s fight for independence from the beginning (links below)…
Catalonia: The Rebel State
Catalonia: The Rebel State [Update | Part II]
Catalonia: Do Not Ignore Us [Update | Part III]
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