Spanish Prime Minister Threatens Possible Revocation of Catalonia's Autonomy Again

Following the insistence of the Catalan local government on separation from Spain, the Spanish Prime Minister has once again threatened that the autonomy of this region may be revoked. On Wednesday, Mariano Rajoy announced on Spanish television that he has officially asked the leaders of Catalonia to clarify whether they have declared independence or not. According to him, if they respond affirmatively, the central government of Spain will make decisions regarding this region based on Article 155 of the Constitution. This article allows Madrid to exert its central authority over semi-autonomous regions. The Associated Press also reported that the central government of Spain needs clarification on this matter to take further steps in resolving the Catalonia crisis. According to Reuters, Mr. Rajoy added that the response of the Catalan leaders will determine future events and stated that Madrid will take 'cautious and responsible' actions in this regard. The Spanish government also held an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to discuss the statements made the previous day by Carles Puigdemont, the head of the Catalan regional government, who still demands independence for this region from Spain. However, Mr. Puigdemont has asked the parliament of this region to suspend the results of the independence referendum to create an opportunity for dialogue with the central government of Spain. Another report indicated that a group of Catalan independence supporters attacked the Spanish embassy in Athens. They criticized police violence against Catalan voters and entered the embassy, but according to Greek police, they eventually agreed to leave the embassy building after a while, although 18 individuals were arrested in this regard. The independence referendum of Catalonia from Spain was held despite strong opposition from Madrid, and the leaders of the Catalonia region stated that over 40% of eligible voters participated, with 90% of them demanding separation from Spain. The central government of Spain claims that this referendum is illegal, citing the Constitution of the country, which was approved in 1978 following the death of General Franco, the last dictator of Spain. During this referendum, clashes occurred between police forces, who prevented voting, and voters who insisted on casting their votes. Mariano Rajoy had previously warned Carles Puigdemont, the head of the autonomous region of Catalonia, to stop his plans for unilateral independence to 'avoid greater evils and unfortunate events.' Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, had also previously asked the head of the Catalan regional government to respect the legal structure of Spain and urged Rajoy to seek a solution that does not rely on force. In this context, hundreds of thousands marched in Barcelona against the separation of Catalonia. The Spanish Prime Minister did not rule out the possibility of suspending Catalonia's autonomy. There is a 'willingness' from both sides of the conflict in Spain to resolve the crisis. The Spanish Constitutional Court suspended the Catalan parliament session on Monday.