Spanish PM: Powers of Catalan administration will be transferred to central government
RT.com
21 Oct, 2017
The Spanish government will administer Catalonia directly from Madrid subject to approval by the Senate, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said at a press conference. He added that Madrid wants to curb the powers of the Catalan parliament.
Rajoy declared on Saturday that the government wants to dissolve the Catalan parliament and call a snap election to restore order in the region.
He said Madrid is not revoking Catalonia’s autonomy but merely removing local leaders whose actions were against the law. Rajoy said the government was seeking unprecedented constitutional authority to ”restore order” in Catalonia.
“There is no country in the world ready to allow this kind of situation within its borders,” Rajoy said, as cited by AP. “It is my wish to call elections as soon as normality is restored.” The Popular Party led by the Prime Minister controls the majority of the Senate, and Rajoy himself has the backing of major opposition parties.
The government did not initially want or intend to rule Catalonia directly, according to Rajoy, but took this unprecedented step to ensure that public services and the economy remain functional.
Rajoy requested the Senate authorize him to dissolve the Catalan government. Central government ministers will assume the powers of Catalonia’s officials, Rajoy said.
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