Spain's political showdown with Catalonia appears set to boil over on Thursday as a deadline to clarify the region's independence intentions arrives.

In an unprecedented move since Spain returned to democracy in the late 1970s, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will impose direct rule in Catalonia unless the region's leader Carles Puigdemont retracts by 0800GMT an ambiguous declaration of independence he made last week.

Puigdemont told members of his Catalan Democratic Party on Wednesday night not only he would not back down but he would press ahead with a more formal declaration of independence if Rajoy suspends Catalonia's political autonomy.

It is not yet clear how and when this declaration would take place and whether it would be endorsed by the regional assembly, though many pro-independence lawmakers have openly said they wanted to hold a vote in the Catalan parliament to make it more solemn.
If Rajoy invokes Article 155 of the 1978 constitution, which allows him to take control of a region if it breaks the law, it would not be fully effective until at least early next week as it needs parliamentary approval, offering some last minute leeway for secessionists to split unilaterally.

This prospect has raised fears of social unrest, led the euro zone's fourth-largest economy to cut its growth forecasts, and rattled the euro.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/spain-catalonia-standoff-intensify-deadline-looms-171019051544516.html

Amaaf:
Spain's political showdown with Catalonia appears set to boil over on Thursday as a deadline to clarify the region's independence intentions arrives.

In an unprecedented move since Spain returned to democracy in the late 1970s, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will impose direct rule in Catalonia unless the region's leader Carles Puigdemont retracts by 0800GMT an ambiguous declaration of independence he made last week.

Puigdemont told members of his Catalan Democratic Party on Wednesday night not only he would not back down but he would press ahead with a more formal declaration of independence if Rajoy suspends Catalonia's political autonomy.

It is not yet clear how and when this declaration would take place and whether it would be endorsed by the regional assembly, though many pro-independence lawmakers have openly said they wanted to hold a vote in the Catalan parliament to make it more solemn.
If Rajoy invokes Article 155 of the 1978 constitution, which allows him to take control of a region if it breaks the law, it would not be fully effective until at least early next week as it needs parliamentary approval, offering some last minute leeway for secessionists to split unilaterally.

This prospect has raised fears of social unrest, led the euro zone's fourth-largest economy to cut its growth forecasts, and rattled the euro.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/spain-catalonia-standoff-intensify-deadline-looms-171019051544516.html

Ok na

.

Catalonia & Biafra are going!