Senate votes to trigger Article 155
Friday, October 27, 2017 @ 8:33 PM
Barely half an hour after Catalunya's regional Parliament voted to declare independence, the Senate at national government level has given its mandate for president Mariano Rajoy to trigger Article 155 of the Constitution.
Described by the BBC as 'Spain's nuclear option', Article 155 – which strips powers from a 'rebellious and disobedient' regional government and places it under State rule – has never been used in the 39-year history of the country's Magna Carta.
Triggered at 16.09 today (Friday, October 27), this unprecedented move – modelled on Germany's Federal system – effectively means Catalunya's government is de facto dismissed, including its president, Carles Puigdemont and deputy president, Oriol Junqueras.
But this has not been officially announced, and the Senate's approval is not necessarily irreversible – if a dramatic about-turn occurs in Catalunya, the State may consider going back on Article 155.
The reigning right-wing PP government holds a majority in the Senate – although it is in minority in Parliament – meaning the vote to invoke Article 155 was practical a certainty, but other parties in direct opposition to the PP have backed the move.
All the socialists (PSOE) voted in favour, except its sole member on Catalunya's regional branch, the PSC, who left the room during the voting.
Ciudadanos and various minority regional parties, including the Canarian Coalition, backed the proposal.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com