Spain declares the abolition of the Catalan government

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Photo: Reuters.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced today that he will revoke the powers of the Catalan parliament, abolish the autonomous government and hold an election within the next 6 months. This is an effort to prevent Catalonia from seceding from Spain, Reuters reported.

Mr. Rajoy affirmed that Madrid has taken many unprecedented measures to restore the rule of law, ensure neutrality in the region, maintain public services and economic activity, as well as guarantee the rights of all citizens in Catalonia.

The measures proposed by Mr Rajoy's administration need to be voted on by the Spanish Senate on October 27 before coming into effect.

Prime Minister Rajoy chaired a cabinet meeting today to respond to the Catalonia crisis and decide what privileges will be stripped from the wealthy autonomous region.

The measures come just days after Madrid secured support from the Spanish king and European Union (EU) nations. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has also refused to halt his campaign for independence.

King Felipe VI has previously called for a resolution of the Catalan crisis through constitutional democratic means, while opposing the referendum, which he called an "unacceptable secessionist plot". Prime Minister Rajoy asserted that Spain had reached a "critical point" after weeks of unrest, forcing the government to act to protect the rule of law.

According to VNE