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Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is dissolving the Catalan parliament and calling snap local elections after MP's there voted to declare independence. Mr. Rajoy said the unprecedented imposition of direct rule on Catalonia was essential to 'recover normality'. He is also firing Catalan leader Carlos Puigdemont and his cabinet. The crisis began when Catalan leaders held an independence referendum, defying a ruling by the Constitutional Court which had declared it illegal..... Mr. Rajoy also announced the sacking of the Catalan police chief. A motion declaring independence was approved with 70 in favor, 10 against, and two abstentions in the 135-seat...

After the shocking treatment of voters in the Catalan “referendum” which saw people literally dragged out of voting stations and elderly people bleeding in the streets, added to the iron fist threat of taking back power from the autonomous region, Catalonia’s elected officials have voted 70 to 10 to declare independence from Spain. But what is the reality of the situation? It is well known that earlier this month, the Catalan President Carles Puigdemont organized a referendum that was deemed illegal by the Spanish government in Madrid. When the government sent in “the troops” it rallied support from unlikely sectors...

The Catalan regional parliament has voted to declare independence from Spain, just as the Spanish government appears set to impose direct rule. The move was backed 70-10 in a ballot boycotted by opposition MPs. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy earlier told senators direct rule was needed to return "law, democracy and stability" to Catalonia. The crisis began when Catalans backed independence in a disputed vote earlier this month. What powers does Catalonia have?The case for and against independenceReality Check: Police violence in Catalonia The Catalan government said that of the 43% of potential voters who took part in the...

Catalonia's regional Parliament voted overwhelmingly Friday in favor of independence from Spain, taking the country's political crisis into uncharted territory. The vote came as the Spanish Senate debated the Madrid government's unprecedented plans to seize control of the autonomous region in a bid to quash its independence bid. Lawmakers voted in secret in the Catalan Parliament chamber after a heated debate on a motion "to form the Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign state." The outcome: 70 votes in favor, 10 against and two blanks.

The Spanish senate is discussing a plan by the Madrid government to take over some of Catalonia's autonomous powers, amid an escalating crisis over the region's push for independence. Earlier this month Catalonia held a disputed referendum on the issue. The Senate is expected to pass the emergency measures, which include sacking the Catalan leader. Meanwhile the regional parliament has been debating a possible declaration of independence. The debate began on Thursday, after Catalan leader Carlos Puigdemont failed to reveal a favored course of action, and called on MP's to decide on a response. Mr. Puigdemont signed a declaration of...

(Nigel Farage 5:15) "The European Union who were studiously quiet after all the police brutality a few weeks ago...." (Journalist James Babcock 5:28) ..."the main leaders of the European Union with exceptions such as Belgium have rallied around the Spanish government. We saw that in the summit last weekend. We heard Mr. Macron, we heard Merkel and the Commission President all saying basically that they support Spain, they support the Spanish constitution, the constitutional order in Spain." (Nigel Farage) ...That was Theresa May's position, too, wasn't it? (James Babcock) Yes....They're treating this as an internal matter.... (Nigel Farage 6:15) ...Well,...

"Catalonia held a referendum. Russia won"-Washington Post October 2, 2017 "How Russia Is Playing Catalonia to Get a Reprieve on Crimea"-Forbes.com-October 16, 2017 "In Catalonia, Is Russia Trying to Influence Another Vote?" Newsweek September 30, 2017 Those are the headlines and there are more from numerous "mainstream" news organizations trying to link up the recent referendum and push for independence in Catalonia with the same scapegoat they tried to pin on Donald Trump, Russia. There are stories about fake news being generated and the Spanish government seems to have hooked onto that notion with denunciations of what they call "fake...

Elections can be a sham, a fraud as was the case in Venezuela last weekend..... Elections can be influenced by business interests with massive campaign contributions plus threats to close down operations and take away people's jobs as was the case in the Scottish independence referendum at few years ago. Some or all of these elements are in play as options as Spain's major Uniparties backed by the big business and big banking interests move together to shut down Catalonia's independence movement...... Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced that the leaders of Catalonia will be removed from power and the...

MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalonia’s leaders said on Saturday they would not accept direct rule imposed on the region by the Spanish government, as a political crisis that has rattled the economy and raised fears of prolonged unrest showed no signs of easing. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced earlier on Saturday he would invoke special constitutional powers to fire the regional government and force a new election to counter the region’s move towards independence. It is the first time since Spain’s return to democracy that the central government has used its powers to seize control of a regional administration.

Spain is to start suspending Catalan autonomy on Saturday.... The PM's office said ministers would meet to activate Article 155 of the constitution..... Catalonia's leader said earlier the region's parliament would vote on independence, backed in a disputed referendum on October 1st, if Spain "continues repression". Some fear the moves could spark unrest......

'Ever in my fiercest criticisms here did I think we would see the police of a member state of the European Union injuring 900 people in an attempt to stop them getting out to vote" Nigel Farage speaks in the European Parliament on Catalonia-October 3, 2017 In recent weeks the Catalan independence movement has quietly, discreetly and without violence asserted itself with mass street demonstrations and a referendum on independence. The Spanish government has responded with a violent attempt to suppress the independence movement snd thrown leaders into jail...... As Nigel Farage noted in a conversation with Stuart Varney on...

The president of Catolonia has now taken back his illegal declaration of independence. If he didn't, he would have been arrested or the government would have sent in the national guard. Anyway, now he wants to negotiate over the next two weeks. Here in Madrid, everyone is annoyed with Catalan, there are Spanish flags hanging everywhere which mean that they want unity. Most people here think Catalan is acting very stupid. I don't usually contribute my opinion about it because I don't know enough about the history. But my roommate sais that Catalan is not perfect, they are not innocent...

MADRID — Spain’s prime minister on Wednesday asked the head of the secession-minded Catalonia region the question that no one can seem to answer: Did he declare independence or not? The query reflected more than just confusion. Clarity on Catalonia’s position is critical for Spain to map out its next move — including possible harsh measures against Catalonia if it proclaims itself a sovereign nation. The uncertainty comes after the region’s president, Carles Puigdemont, told the Catalan parliament in Barcelona on Tuesday that Catalonia had the right to be an independent country, citing a disputed referendum last week that showed...

The United States was born when the Founding Fathers seceded from England. So why do so many people now see secession as a terrible thing? Recently, people in Catalonia voted to break away from Spain -- not to declare war on Spain or refuse to trade with Spain, just to control their own affairs. The Spanish government said they must not even vote. They sent police to shut down polling places and beat protestors into staying off the streets. Governments never want to give up power. The European Union was offended and American politicians shocked when the United Kingdom voted...

The Spanish government warned Carles Puigdemont "not to do anything irreversible" on Tuesday, ahead of a scheduled address in which the Catalan president may declare independence. Uncertainty remains over whether Mr Puigdemont will risk a head-on conflict with the Spanish government by openly proclaiming a new Catalan republic when he speaks at at 5pm BST, or back down from his promises and pave the way for negotiations with Madrid. "We call on Puigdemont not to do anything irreversible, not to pursue a path of no return and not to make any unilateral independence declaration, which would lead to illegality," government...

Catalonia suffers a tax deficit with respect to the Spanish state of around 8% of its GDP which in 2010 amounted to €16,000,000,000 of Catalan taxes that were paid to Madrid and not reinvested in Catalonia. This makes Catalonia the most highly taxed region in Europe and its schools, health services, roads and infrastructures are suffering in comparison to supposedly poorer regions of Spain. Furthermore, many decisions taken by central government have negative effects on the local economy. Here are two examples.

Spain's Constitutional Court has suspended next Monday's session of the Catalan parliament, in a bid to pre-empt a possible push for independence. The court said such a move would be a breach of the constitution...... The court's ruling on Thursday upheld a challenge not from the government in Madrid, but by the Socialist's Party of Catalonia.....

Like vultures, the worldwide press is starting to celebrate the anticipated disintegration of Spain. The Catalans are determined to go.  Considering that Catalonia is the richest province in Spain (by absolute numbers), Spain would suffer an economic hit should Catalonia go. However, always alongside the separatist Catalans are the Basque, who have the highest per capita output in Spain – but only one third the population base.  Navarre Province (which is heavily Basque in the north) came in second per capita in 2010.  Madrid was a mere third per capita, but much of that is artificial wealth, because the national bureaucracy...

SPAIN has sent two convoys of troops into Catalonia in a move that is likely to anger the regional parliament. Troops from the Logistic Support Group 41 (AALOG 41) who are based in Aragon were told of their move at about 7pm last night. The exact number of soldiers is not known but according to the newspaper El Confidencial, two contingents of troops are being sent in 20 trucks. It is understood their orders are to provide logistical support to the Guardia Civil and national police still stationed in the region. The appearance of troops is likely to be seen...

As a general proposition, I would prefer to maintain the territorial integrity of the Dominion of Canada. But, if Quebec - or parts of Quebec - wished to secede, I would recognize their right to do so. Likewise, I would have preferred to maintain the 1801 borders of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, but parts of Ireland felt otherwise - as was their right. Though the fiercer nationalists might feel otherwise, the Irish benefited from a particular historical moment: 1922 was the era of the nation state, but not yet the welfare state. By the time the...