MADRID (Sputnik) — Spain may invoke a constitutional provision to suspend the autonomous status of Catalonia if its government continues the push toward secession, the spokesman for acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's Popular Party (PP) warned Monday.
Article 155 of the Spanish constitution allows authorities to suspend rights of an autonomous community if it does not abide by the constitution or other laws.
"Those who attempts to ignore judgments passed by the Constitutional Court, which has called the resolution of the [Catalan] parliament to start secession process illegal, will get a firm and unambiguous answer," PP Deputy Secretary of Communications Pablo Casado said in response to whether the government planned to invoke Article 155.
Casado warned that Spanish authorities were ready to take "all legal measures."
This comes a day after the parliament in Catalonia swore in a new leader, Carles Puigdemont, who promised to put Spain’s affluent northeastern region on track toward independence within 18 months.
