Spanish president claims new legal challenge is to ‘protect’ Catalonia

The Spanish government is appealing a reform of legislation passed on Wednesday in the Catalan Parliament that could be used to fast-track the referendum law. Spanish President Mariano Rajoy announced on Friday that his government has appealed the amendment to the Catalan chamber’s regulations in the Constitutional Court, because it violates “the right of political participation of the parliamentary minority.”

According to Rajoy, “Catalan society needs to be protected against a radical and divisive project,” and he argued that the appeal by his executive “fulfills its obligation of guaranteeing the rule of law.” Rajoy also said that the appeal will “protect Catalonia’s autonomous institutions and civil servants, so they cannot be used in the service of a project that is openly against law.”