Spanish region's call for direct rule in Catalonia roundly rejected

A motion passed in the assembly of the Spanish region of Extremadura calling for Catalan self-rule to be once again suspended has caused something of a political backlash in Catalonia.

The parliament of the region in the west of the Iberian Peninsula voted on Thursday for a "firm" and "broad" application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, imposing direct rule on Catalonia from Madrid.

Yet, the Spanish government ruled out using Article 155 any time soon, as it would "undermine" Catalonia's self-rule and would go against the Spanish constitution.

"Nobody who has really thought about it would call for the application of Article 155 under the current circumstances," said Isabel Celáa, the spokesperson of the Spanish government.

The article was triggered for the first time in October 2017, following an independence referendum and a declaration of independence in the Catalan parliament. Direct rule from Madrid lasted until a new government was formed in Catalonia, in May last year.

The parliamentary initiative was put forward by the conservative People's Party, and passed with the votes of the other unionist groups, the Socialists and Ciudadanos.