Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-30 01:38:20|Editor: Mengjie
People wave Spanish national flags in a march with the slogan "Enough and let's recover the sensibility", to defend the Spanish constitution and the unity of Spain in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 8, 2017. (Xinhua file photo/Juan Carlos Rojas)
Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, along with his government, was dismissed on Friday by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who also called new elections in the region on Dec. 21.
The Spanish government on Saturday officially took control of Catalonia's regional government, Generalitat, with Rajoy taking control of the functions of the president of Generalitat.
These moves followed the decision taken by the Catalan parliament on Friday to unilaterally declare independence of the region in the northeast of Spain.
Catalonia held a referendum on self-determination on Oct. 1, which had been declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court.
The application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which suspends the autonomy of the Catalan region and hands control of key Catalan institutions to Madrid, was approved by the Spanish Senate Friday afternoon.
The Spanish State Prosecutor will on Monday consider presenting accusations of "rebellion" against former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his government, with charges which could lead to a jail term of 15 to 30 years.