Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had set a deadline of 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT) for Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to offer a definitive answer on the independence question, and called on him to "act sensibly". Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, ignoring a 10 a.m. deadline to drop his secession campaign, wrote a letter to Rajoy threatening a formal declaration of independence. “If the government continues to impede dialogue and continues with the repression, the Catalan parliament could proceed, if it is considered opportune, to vote on a formal declaration of independence,” Puigdemont said. Only 43 percent of voters participated but those who did voted overwhelmingly to secede, while opponents of secession mostly stayed home. The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, says there is no space for any international mediation or EU action on the Catalan crisis - though he did say there was "no hiding that the situation in Spain is concerning". The regional authorities have not made clear how and when a declaration of independence would take place and whether it would be endorsed by the regional assembly. The government said ministers would meet to activate Article 155 of the constitution, allowing it to take over running of the region. “The government will use all the tools available to restore as soon as possible the law and the constitutional order, recover peaceful cohabitation between citizens and stop the economic damage that the legal uncertainty is creating,” government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said in a statement. A spokesman for the Socialists said while they fully stood behind the government they would insist Article 155 is applied in the most proportionate way. It is thought the measures implemented could range from taking control of the regional police and finances to calling a snap election. But some members of the Catalan government have already questioned this interpretation of the constitution, suggesting the stand-off could extend for at least several more days. “From our point of view, the sooner this happens the better,” Riera told Reuters in the Catalan capital Barcelona.
– Spain is dusting off a never-before-used emergency clause in its constitution in a bid to end the push for independence in Catalonia. How things will turn out remains very much up in the air. Specifically, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says he is beginning the process to invoke Article 155 of the constitution, which allows Madrid to suspend Catalonia's autonomy and impose direct rule, reports CNN. Spain could theoretically remove Catalonia's current leaders and take over the police and all government institutions, notes Reuters, but much is unclear because Article 155 has never been used. It was put in place after the downfall of the dictator Francisco Franco 40 years ago, intended for use only in a crisis. This is the first such crisis in the eyes of Madrid. All this was set off when Catalonians voted overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum deemed illegal by Spain. However, Catalonian leader Carles Puigdemont immediately suspended a declaration of independence and said he wanted to negotiate. Puigdemont has since dodged two deadlines from Madrid seeking clarification, prompting Rajoy to say Wednesday: “It’s simple and it’s not that difficult. It’s answering one question. Have you or have you not declared the independence of Catalonia?" If the answer is yes, he added, "the government is obliged" to "act in a certain way.” The next steps could drag out for weeks, explains the BBC. Rajoy's Cabinet meets Saturday to formalize the decision to invoke Article 155, which then needs to go through parliament. Then Catalonia would likely be given time to issue a formal response.