Oriol Junqueras has given the biggest indication yet that Catalonia is poised to formally declare independence in defiance of Spain who is set to impose strict control of the north east region by invoking Article 155 of the Spanish constitution.
The news comes after the Catalan President Carles Puigdemont snubbed addressing the Senate to defend the region’s actions and instead opted to attend an emergency meeting of the Catalan parliament.
He also kept his silence on whether to call for a new regional election, a move which might prompt the Madrid government to postpone its plan to take over Catalonia’s institutions and police.
The next few days could prove crucial in the battle of wills that has followed an independence referendum on Oct. 1, which Madrid declared illegal and the Catalan government said endorsed its claim to statehood.
While it is not clear how the central government will take over in practical terms, nor how Catalan civil servants and police will react, some independence supporters have threatened a campaign of civil disobedience, raising the possibility of ugly confrontations.
The Catalan secessionist drive is the most serious existential challenge to a Western European country since the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, when voters in the end decided to stay part of the United Kingdom.
It has caused deep resentment elsewhere in Spain, caused a flight of business from the wealthy region, and worried other European leaders who see it as fanning separatist sentiment elsewhere on the continent.
Madrid has rejected Puigdemont’s calls for dialogue to resolve the situation, saying he first must withdraw an ambiguous declaration of independence made earlier this month. But it did invite to him address the Senate on Thursday.
More to follow…