BARCELONA, Spain – The Latest on Catalonia’s effort to break away from Spain and the Spanish government’s response: (all times local):
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10.30 a.m.
A Cabinet meeting is underway in Madrid to outline government measures for taking control of the Catalonia region to stop regional authorities from breaking away from Spain.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is chairing the meeting at the Moncloa palace on Saturday.
The measures could include stripping some or all of the top Catalan officials of their authority and laying out a roadmap to an early regional election for as early as January.
Rajoy said Friday that the goal of revoking Catalan self-governance is “the return to legality and the recovery of institutional normalcy.”
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Members of the ruling separatist coalition in Catalonia have rejected the idea of fresh regional elections as a way out to the crisis.
Instead, they are threatening to make an explicit declaration of independence if central authorities go ahead with the intervention in the region’s autonomous powers.
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10:10 a.m.
The Spanish government is activating a previously untapped constitutional article to take control of the Catalonia region in a bid to stop a rebellion from separatist politicians.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s Cabinet is meeting Saturday to outline the scope and timing of the measures the government plans to take under Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution.
The article allows central authorities to intervene when one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions fails to comply with the law.
Rajoy could force the removal of Catalan officials and call early regional elections for as soon as January.
Opposition parties have agreed to support him in revoking Catalonia’s autonomy. The specific measures need approval from the country’s Senate.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has threatened to call a vote in the regional parliament for an explicit declaration of independence from Spain.
