The Story:
Catalonia is a beautiful province occupying the northeast corner of Spain, bordered by France and the Mediterranean Sea. It has long been an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Spain. But on Friday, October 27, its parliament sought to go further, declaring itself a sovereign republic.
After the Declaration:
The reaction was swift. Friday evening, Spain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, said that his government was firing the regional president, Carles Puigdemont. Only minutes later, the Senate in Madrid gave Rajoy the power to impose direct rule over Catalonia.
By the following Monday, October 30, it appeared that the people of the region had accepted direct rule. Puigdemont, and members of his cabinet, travelled to Belgium seeking sanctuary.
The Thing to Know:
The government of Spain has called for the election of a new parliament of Catalonia on December 21. Even the two pro-independence parties say that they will participate in these elections, a tacit admission that the Puigdemont government is no more.
