Catalan Parliament voted by 70 to 10 to “form the Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign state”.
The Catalan government said that of the 43 percent who took part in the referendum, 90 percent were in favour of independence, but the Constitutional Court ruled it was illegal.
Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy however dissolved the Catalan Parliament on Friday almost immediately after the autonomous region defied Madrid and voted to declare independence, amid a political and constitutional crisis that has gripped the country for months.
Rajoy announced measures to seize control of the renegade administration in Barcelona. He said said the moves were needed to restore legality.
“In this moment, we need to be serene and careful, but we also need to have confidence that the state has the tools, backed by the law and reason, [to] peacefully and reasonably go back to legality and take away threats to democracy,” Rajoy said.
Spain is currently navigating uncharted territory, by enacting the “nuclear option”, Article 155 of the Spanish constitution. It empowers the government to take “all measures necessary to compel” a region in case of a crisis.
It would enable Madrid to take control of not only Catalonia’s finances and policing, but also public media, stripping the region of Catalonia of its autonomous powers.
Some 16 percent of Spain’s population live in Catalonia, and it produces 25.6 percent of Spain’s exports and 19 percent of Spain’s GDP, while attracting some 21 percent of foreign investment.
Rajoy accused the Catalan government of dividing families and fracturing Spanish society. “The thing that Catalans need protecting from is not what they’re calling Spanish imperialism, but a minority who, in an intolerant way, declare themselves the owners of Catalonia and consider as exclusive a history, culture and feelings that are the heritage of the community,” he said.
His speech was met with applause in the Spanish Senate, where Rajoy’s Partido Popular has a majority. Spain’s prosecutor general meanwhile confirmed it would file a lawsuit for rebellion against Catalan leader, Charles Puigdemont.
“Spain is a serious country, a great nation and we will not allow some people to blow up our Constitution,” Rajoy told journalists in Madrid.
The European Union has backed Madrid, but Finland could be the first country to officially recognise Catalonia as a republic state, in direct opposition to the European Union.
The MP for Lapland Mikko Karna has said that he intends to submit a motion to the Finnish parliament recognising the new country. Karna, who is part of the ruling Centre Party of Prime Minister Juha Sipila, also sent his congratulations to Catalonia.
Argentina could also formally recognise the Republic of Catalonia and reject the intervention of Rajoy, MP Juan Carlos Giordano, who represents Buenos Aires Province said. Giordano will propose a bill in parliament for the South American country to recognise Catalonia.
The Scottish Government has signalled support, saying that Catalonia “must have” the ability to determine their own future.
EU Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker urged unity: “I do not want a situation where, tomorrow, the European Union is made up of 95 different states. We need to avoid splits, because we already have enough splits and fractures and we do not need any more.”
Britain, France, Germany and the United States too, backed Madrid.