Catalan Parliament Declares Independence from Spain

Tensions between Madrid and Barcelona are growing as the national parliament in Madrid has gathered in order to approve Article 155 of the constitution, which allows the central government to seize autonomous powers from Catalonia.

Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has called on Spaniards to remain calm as the Catalan parliament declared independence. The prime minister has also vowed to restore the rule of law in the country.

The development comes shortly after the Catalan Parliament, in a secret ballot, voted in favor of a motion to declare independence from Spain in the form of a republic. Out of 135 lawmakers, only 82 took part in the vote, of which 70 voted in favor of independence with 10 against. Two lawmakers cast blank ballots.

 The vote was held on Friday in regional parliament building in Barcelona. Catalan lawmakers from the Socialist Party, People’s Party, and Ciudadanos left the chamber minutes before the vote on independence from Spain started.

The European Commission has refused to comment on the Catalan Parliament’s declaration of independence from Spain.

Sputnik

R.S