Rajoy opens the door to suspending Catalonia’s self-rule

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy formally required Carles Puigdemont to clarify whether he declared the independence of Catalonia when he addressed the parliament on Tuesday. Therefore, Rajoy is paving the way for suspending the region’s self-rule, as foreseen in the article 155 of the Spanish Constitution.

Puigdemont’s response “will determine future events in the coming days,” Rajoy warned. “If Mr. Puigdemont stresses his will to respect the legality and re-establish the institutional normality, this would put an end to a period of instability, tensions and breach of coexistence,” he said.