Spain’s prime minister has opened the way for Madrid to use a constitutional “nuclear option” to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy, demanding that the regional government makes clear whether it considers itself independent.
Mariano Rajoy decided to take the first step towards triggering Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, which would give Madrid previously unused powers to take control of Catalonia’s regional government, after an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Stepping up pressure on the Catalan government, he has given Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan president, five days to clarify the suspended declaration of independence he made on Tuesday.