Catalonia independence: Authorities warn they will NOT follow orders from Spain

Foreign affairs spokesman Raul Romeva said he believed the Spanish government was acting at odds with the Catalan people.

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has revealed he plans to invoke special constitutional powers to fire the regional government and curb the freedoms of its parliament forcing a new election.

The proposals are expected to be rubber-stamped on Friday after he triggered Article 155 of the constitution over the weekend, which allows direct rule to be imposed on autonomous regions of the country.

But leaders of the Catalan independence campaign underlined a disputed referendum on October 1 gave them the mandate to claim independence from the rest of Spain.

It’s not that we will refuse (orders). It is not a personal decision. It is a seven million-person decision

Foreign affairs spokesman Raul Romeva


Mr Romeva said: “It’s not that we will refuse (orders). It is not a personal decision. It is a seven million-person decision.”

He said he believed all institutions would continue to follow orders from Catalan institutions instead of the Spanish government.

He added: “And from that perspective, I have no doubt that all civil servants in Catalonia will keep following the instructions provided by the elected and legitimate institutions that we have right now in place (in Catalonia).”

Catalan authorities said 90 per cent who took part in the independence poll backed the move but only 43 per cent of the electorate and one in three Catalans took part.

Mariano Rajoy Raul RomevaGETTY

Foreign affairs spokesman Romeva said Catalonia will not follow orders from either the EU or Spain

Those who opposed the move remained at home.

Fears are growing in other European countries that the situation in Spain could overspill into countries including Flanders and Lombardy.

But Mr Romeva said the European Union would lose credibility if direct rule is imposed by Spain on Catalonia.

He said: “How can the European Union live with the situation if it appears?

“How can they be credible if they allow this to happen?

“Because what I can tell you is that the people and the institutions in Catalonia would not let this … happen.”

People take part in a demonstration in BarcelonaGETTY

People protested in Barcelona on Saturday against Rajoy’s decision to limit Catalan government power

At last week’s European summit, leaders branded the crisis as simply a domestic issue.

But on Sunday two regions of northern Italy – Lombardy and Veneto – voted for greater autonomy. 

Several hundred Catalan municipalities underlined their opposition to direct rule from Madrid and called on the Catalan parliament to vote on a motion rejecting it.

Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has called for a meeting of the Catalan parliament this week to draw up a response to Madrid, which could lead to a formal declaration of independence.

Calls have been made by the Catalan media for a snap election ahead of direct rule coming into force.

But an opinion poll has indicated a snap election would probably have a similar outcome to the last ballot in 2015, which saw a coalition of pro-independence parties forced to form a minority government.

Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría insisted Puigdemont would no longer be in post once direct rule comes into force.

The Spanish government has called a regional election within six months.

In a radio interview, she said: “They [Catalan leaders] haven’t been put in the role by some divine power, they’ve been put in their roles by the constitution and the statute of autonomy.

“They’re completely not in compliance with the constitution and the statute of autonomy… They may be living in some other reality but the political and legal reality is that they will be removed.”

Spanish Prime Minister Mr Rajoy said the move was designed to remove those who have taken the government outside the framework of the law as opposed to looking to suspend Catalan self-government.

Mr Rajoy admitted to being concerned about the financial impact if Catalonia broke away from Spain and claimed the latest figures on the economy were “worrying.” 

The EU Commission said it had not changed its position on Catalonia after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy revealed he would invoke special constitutional powers to fire the regional government and force a new election.

A Commission spokesman said: “The position is well known.

“We’ve always said we respect the constitutional and legal arrangement of Spain.”

He added the measures taken were “precisely to be seen within that constitutional context.”