The dismissed Catalonian leader, Carles Puigdemont, has been vague as to whether or not he accepts his removal from office by the national government in Madrid which has started to use provisions under Article 155 to seize control of the break-away state.
A motion to declare Catalonia a ‘republic’ was passed in the regional parliament on Friday, October 27th. This has unleashed a range of opportunities for Madrid to exert its power and take control.
Puigdemont has called on his fellow Catalans to support what he calls "democratic opposition" to Madrid’s plans and said he will continue to work towards “building a free country” but did not say he would, or would not be stepping down - referring to himself in a press notice as the 'president of the regional government.'
"In a democratic society, only parliaments can pick or dismiss presidents," said Puigdemont, an irrritant to Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, who dissolved the Catalan parliament, sacked the president and his deputy Oriol Junqueras while referring to the Catalan problem as an "escalation of disobedience."
Rajoy also has called snap regional elections in order to replace the government and to restore, what he called, "normality."
Around three thousand people rallied in Madrid today in support of Spanish unity after Madrid castrated Catalonia’s autonomy in a bid to keep Spain together.
The streets of Barcelona erupted on Friday for hours of wild celebration after the independence vote result was broadcast live but the hangover on Saturday saw streets devoid of revellers and security personnel very much in evidence outside key public buildings.
The question is whether or not Puigdemont and his team will step down to allow Madrid access to Catalonia’s ministries and government buildings, or will the sacked Catalan leader mount a defence that may lose in the courts and on the streets, for violence now is in the air.
