Spain won’t lift Article 155

The Spanish government won’t lift Article 155 in Catalonia. This is what was decided by Spanish president Mariano Rajoy, in agreement with Socialist (PSOE) leader Pedro Sánchez and head of Ciutadans (Cs) Albert Rivera. The decision made on Saturday May 19 comes after Quim Torra, new Catalan president, released his choices for his future government-to-be.

After making known the list of nominees in a decree, the next step is for them to be published in the government gazette. However, Rajoy has resolved not to authorize its publication, therefore blocking the process. According to local media, this decision is due to the inclusion of officials “fleeing justice” or in prison, referring to Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Lluís Puig and Toni Comín. All four were deposed by the implementation of Article 155 itself in 2017. Currently, Turull and Rull are incarcerated near Madrid, while Puig and Comín are in Belgium.

Following the release of Torra’s chosen cabinet, the Spanish government released a statement on May 19 deeming the Catalan president’s choice as a “provocation” and as falling within a strategy of “confrontation.” In this document, Rajoy’s executive also communicated that they would now “analyze” the “viability” of the new government.