Carles Puigdemont's party has given the Catalan president the green light why declare independence if the government of Madrid will apply the art. 155 of the constitution against Catalonia, indicated the leader of the Catalan independence party, the Pdecat, Marta Pascal: “We ask that the suspension of the declaration of independence be revoked if the state applies art. 155,” she said after a meeting of the party leadership, referring to the possibility that Madrid will revoke Catalan autonomy and commissioners the region.
The separatists have thus anticipated the ultimatum which expired at 10 this morning: in the second letter from Carles Puigdemont, which was delivered this morning to Mariano Rajoy, the Catalan president therefore states that if the Madrid government decides to apply the 155 he will ask the Parliament of the Generalitat to vote on the declaration of independence, thus canceling the suspension. Mediation attempts have therefore been skipped and Rajoy has already replied: "Blackmail unacceptable", calling for Saturday, because first he is busy with the European summit in Brussels, the council of ministers which should activate the process of applying article 155 which leads to the suspension of Catalan autonomy.
"There will be no surrender," said Catalan spokesman Jordi Turull. Pressure is therefore growing on Puidgemont for him to lift the suspension of independence announced on October 10, especially after the "repression" of the Spanish central government has intensified, with the arrest of independence leaders Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart for sedition, which triggered massive protests in Barcelona and the harsh reaction of Puidgdemont who spoke of "political prisoners".
