viernes, 24 de febrero de 2017

SPAIN AGAINST THE CATALONIA NATION ---- Madrid considers ‘nuclear option’ to halt Catalan referendum

Madrid considers ‘nuclear option’ to halt Catalan referendum

 Madrid considers ‘nuclear option’ to halt Catalan referendum
Constitutional crisis looms, as Spain flirts with invoking Article 155 to stop ballot
https://www.ft.com/con…/c9bf1ce0-f9b0-11e6-bd4e-68d53499ed71 



The most talked-about number in Spanish politics these days is: 155.

Article 155 of Spain’s constitution allows the government in Madrid to intervene directly in the running of an autonomous region, effectively ending a system of self-government that is at the core of the country’s democratic order. After decades of obscurity, the article is emerging as a central issue in the political battle over Catalonia, the northeastern region that is pushing for independence.

As the Catalan government prepares to hold a referendum on secession this year, there is growing clamour in Madrid to invoke Article 155 and compel regional leaders to drop the vote and obey the constitution. The article allows the state to take all “necessary measures” to ensure compliance; if need be, by replacing officials and sending in the police.