In ordering the Catalan Parliament to dissolve, Mr. Rajoy said new regional elections would be held Dec. 21. European leaders made clear on Friday that they would not be recognizing Catalan independence and would support Mr. Rajoy, as leader of one of the bloc’s most important member states. But Madrid would offer no guarantee that it would not clamp down on the region, Mr. Puigdemont said, as he immediately faced a revolt in his own ranks from secessionist hard-liners who called him a traitor. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyAfter hours of wavering on Thursday, he relented and threw the decision on independence to Catalan lawmakers, who took the fateful plunge on Friday. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyBefore the Catalan Parliament’s vote for independence on Friday, large crowds had gathered outside in anticipation of what they hoped would be a historic day for Catalonia.

Source: New York Times October 27, 2017 10:12 UTC