Catalonia crisis: Madrid to invoke Article 155
No turning back for Catalan leaders or Spain if Rajoy takes over control of regional government

Madrid is threatening to dissolve Catalonia’s parliament on Saturday and to hold January elections to defuse calls for independence - but Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy could be creating a new crisis.
Spain's socialist opposition party has backed the government's plan to potentially invoke Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which would suspend Catalonia's political autonomy. The region's threat to break away from the rest of Spain - following a resounding "Yes" vote in the banned independence referendum - "has unsettled the euro and hurt confidence in the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy”, says Reuters.
If Madrid proceeds, it will be the first time in Spain’s four decades of democracy that the central government will have effectively sacked a regional government and called for new elections. Article 155 - laid out in just two sentences within the Constitution - allows Madrid to force any of its 17 regions to adhere to the law when disobedience “gravely threatens the general interest of Spain”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Its two short sentences appear to give the central government a broad remit to bring a rebellious region to heel, but because it’s never been written into law, there’s no roadmap for action,” says Bloomberg.
Catalonia’s independence referendum, on 1 October, resulted in chaos, with hundreds injured in police clashes in what The New York Times described as “one of the gravest tests of Spain’s democracy since the end of the Franco dictatorship in the 1970s”.
The activation of Article 155 is likely to lead to further civil unrest and arrests in Catalonia. Mass demonstrations have been organised for Saturday by pro-independence activists, reports The Washington Post.
Demonstrators will also be “distributing instructions for peaceful civil disobedience” in the region, with plans to surround government buildings if Article 155 in invoked.
The BBC says regional leader Carles Puigdemont could nominally retain his position as president of Catalonia if autonomy is suspended, but that the central government would probably seek to remove most of his duties and powers.
The showdown comes as a judge of the Spanish National Court, in Madrid, ordered the pre-trial detention of two men under investigation for sedition linked to a Barcelona demonstration in which protesters destroyed police vehicles.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Nashville dining: Far more than barbecue and hot chicken
Feature A modern approach to fine-dining, a daily-changing menu, and more
-
Music Reviews: Coco Jones and Viagra Boys
Feature "Why Not More?" and "Viagr Aboys"
-
Visa wants to let AI make credit card purchases for you
The Explainer The program will allow you to set a budget and let AI learn from your shopping preferences
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical