Ciutadans urges Rajoy not to lift direct rule of Catalonia

The Spanish government’s exceptional measures in place in Catalonia, passed in the Senate last October 27, were clear: direct rule from Madrid would come to an end as soon as the country has a new government. With this presumably happening within days, Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution should be lifted shortly.

But unionist Ciutadans party does not agree. Its leader, Albert Rivera, announced this week that Ciutadans was withdrawing its support to Rajoy’s cabinet in this matter for being too soft. It claims that when an executive is formed, Spain should keep an eye on what happens in Catalonia before lifting direct rule.

"Even if there is a new government, Article 155 cannot be lifted until there is a commitment to respect the law and the Constitution," said Rivera in an interview with Spanish TV. According to him, the end of the intervention can only make sense if the new Catalan executive admits that the former one "was wrong". "With a new government, we need to be clear: we need to be more vigilant than ever," he added.

So far, however, the Spanish government maintains that 155 will come to an end with the forming of  the new government. The Spanish government representative in Catalonia, Enric Millo, said that direct rule will be lifted as the new executive members take their oath. "This new government, when it's formed, will commit to abiding by, fulfilling, and respecting the democratic legality in force, as all do," he insisted.

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy also said today that he is ready for engaging in dialogue but on two conditions: that the Catalan executive acts within the Spanish law, and that the discussions do not tackle anything outside this legal framework. For Rajoy’s executive, a referendum, even if it is agreed, would be illegal.

A president needs to be sworn in for Catalonia to avoid a snap election. With Carles Puigdemont ruled out for the post after the Constitutional Court suspended the law to elect him from Germany, he is expected to nominate a successor in the coming hours or days. Friday could be the day chosen by him to make the long-awaited announcement, and the investiture debate could take place next Monday and finish on Wednesday.