Catalan secession crisis deepens as Spain imposes direct rule after region declares independence

Barely six hours after the Catalan parliament voted in favour of an independent republic, Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy announced the sacking of the entire Catalan government, the Catalan police chief, and called snap elections for the region on 21 December.

Earlier today Mr Rajoy had been authorised by the Spanish senate to impose measures of direct rule in Catalonia under the auspices of article 155 of the Spanish constitution. Speaking on Friday evening, Mr Rajoy said that the Catalan parliament was to be dissolved, and Catalan embassies abroad also are to be closed down.

“We have enough means to restore legal normality in a pacific, moderate way,” insisted Mr Rajoy.

The Catalan secession crisis took its most dramatic turn to date on Friday when the regional parliament voted in favour of an independent Catalan republic - and 45 minutes later, the Spanish Senate granted Madrid the right to direct rule in the would-be breakaway region.

One by one on Friday afternoon, members of Catalonia’s regional parliament walked down the steps of the debating chamber, then passed their vote, written on paper to maintain anonymity, up to an official on the Speaker’s desk to be dropped into a wooden ballot box. The final vote count was 70 in favour of an independent Catalonia to 10 against, with two abstentions.

But in a symptom of the depth of the fracture within Catalan society over independence, nearly all the opposition parties had already abandoned the chamber in protest before the vote took place, leaving behind them only Catalan and Spanish flags draped over their empty seats.

The outcome of the vote, nonetheless, was given a rapturous welcome by thousands of pro-independence supporters waiting in warm sunshine outside the parliament. Amongst them were dozens of mayors from towns and villages who had travelled specially to Barcelona, many with their ceremonial staff of office, to express their support for secession.

When the vote was confirmed, many broke into spontaneous renditions of El Segadors, the Catalan national anthem - even as inside, nationalist MPs were doing the same.

Later in the day the huge crowds surrounding the parliament slowly moved across to the Plaza San Jaume, where both the regional government and Barcelona town are located.

By mid-evening mood in the old quarter surrounding the plaza remained largely good humoured with impromptu firework displays, loud music and a plethora of Catalan flags on displays, even when news began to filter through of the measures taken by Mr. Rajoy.

“The people are the motor of any country and they will be here when they need to be,” said one middle-aged nationalist, Pep Gracia, standing in a nearby street, when asked how he felt about the possible measures.

“We’re very used to the Spanish reacting strongly. And it’s the people who will handle matters, not the [regional] government. Look at where the people are, standing around calmly here in the street.”

“Yesterday we were a monarchy, today we’re a republic. It’s nothing to get too uptight about.”

A small pro-unity demonstration in another part of central Barcelona ended with scuffles between regional police and protestors, with one radio station reporting it had had windows broken. But the nationalist celebrations in the Plaza San Jaume continued unabated.

“It’s a historic day”, insisted one young independista named Marc,wearing a Catalan flag - or estellada - t-shirt, as he walked through the emblematic Plaza de Catalunya earlier in the day. “It’s very important, because a lot of the population has been looking for a solution to our situation regarding Spain.”

“We’ve tried to talk, looked for a negotiated, peaceful solution. Finally, we’ve got a majority in favour of independence from Spain, which we think is the only way forward.”

Meanwhile just 45 minutes after Friday’s pro-independence vote in Barcelona, in Madrid, the Senate voted in favour of giving the Spanish government unprecedented sweeping powers for direct rule in Catalonia.

“There is no alternative,” Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, told the Senate this morning. “We are faced with a serious situation which is very serious for many people.”

“In Catalonia the law has been ignored and disobeyed. This is the greatest ever case of disrespect to democracy with the exception of the [attempted] coup d’etat of 1981.”

Mr Rajoy confirmed he would apply those measures already outlined in a speech he made last weekend. “There has been no change,” he argued, after which he received a standing ovation from the ruling Partido Popular senators.

Apart from Mr Rajoy’s dissolving of the Catalan parliament, there is a strong likelihood some regional nationalist MPs will face accusations of rebellion by the Spanish state. This carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.

Prospects of the declaration of independence garnering any recognition from the international community are currently very slim, too, with European Council president Donald Tusk saying the EU would continue only to deal with the Spanish government.

In London, Theresa May also made it clear the British Government would not support the separatist movement. In a statement released by Downing Street the Prime Minister said: “The UK does not and will not recognise the Unilateral Declaration of Independence made by the Catalan regional parliament. It is based on a vote that was declared illegal by the Spanish courts.

"We continue to want to see the rule of law upheld, the Spanish Constitution respected, and Spanish unity preserved, ” Ms May added.

Germany also said it would not recognise the legality of the independence referendum. Berlin supported the “clear position” of Prime Minister Rajoy in his bid to restore calm and order, a government spokesperson said.

In the wake of the vote, Catalans are preparing for repercussions. “I’m sure there’s going to be a strong reaction from Madrid, I don’t know against who or how many people, but what us Catalans already know is that we won’t resort to violence,” observed Marc, the young separatist. “If one side doesn’t want to fight, then there won’t be a fight.”