Spain

CATALONIA is set to defy any attempt by Madrid to impose direct rule over the region which will see the region's police stand in defiance of control from the Spanish capital, The Daily Express reports.

The EC says that its position on Catalonia remained unchanged after Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy said the Constitution's Article 155 would be triggered.

The EC says that its position on Catalonia remained unchanged after Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy said the Constitution's Article 155 would be triggered.

Catalonia's leaders said on Saturday they would not accept direct rule imposed on the region by the Spanish government, as a political crisis that has rattled the economy and raised fears of prolonged unrest showed no signs of easing, Reuters reports.

End of the self-management of Catalonia. As the state warned on Thursday, the Spanish government has begun the process of taking away the autonomous status of the area. Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, spoke personally after the extraordinary government meeting held today in Madrid.

The Spanish government decided on Saturday to sack the secessionist leadership of Catalonia and force the region into a new election, saying it had to take the unprecedented step to prevent the region pushing ahead with independence.

The Spanish government has agreed with the opposition Socialists (PSOE) to hold regional elections in January in Catalonia as part of the extraordinary package of measures to temporarily impose direct rule on the region, Socialist politician Carmen Calvo said in an interview on national television on Friday, cited by Reutrers. 

Spain is to start suspending Catalonia's autonomy from Saturday, as the region's leader threatens to declare independence.

The government said ministers would meet to activate Article 155 of the constitution, allowing it to take over running of the region.

Catalonia's leader said the region's parliament would vote on independence if Spain continued "repression".

Municipalities in more than 100 settlements in the Spanish Autonomous area of Catalonia have decided today to be a working day, even though the national holiday of Spain is celebrated, reported the daily newspaper "Periodio", the day is not working for the whole country. However, Girona, Badalona, Berga ignored the holiday Nova TV reported.

The European Commission has said it supports efforts to promote unity in Spain and again called for full respect for the constitutional order in that country.

"The Commission closely monitors the situation in Spain and reiterates its full respect for the Spanish constitutional order," EC Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told a news conference.