Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy delivers a statement after an extraordinary cabinet meeting at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, on Friday. (Reuters photo)BARCELONA: Spain’s leader fired the government of the country’s Catalonia region Friday, dissolved the regional Parliament and ordered new elections after defiant Catalan lawmakers declared independence, escalating the biggest political crisis to hit Spain in decades. The steps announced by Rajoy mean Spain will take direct control over one of the country’s autonomous regions for the first time since Spain embraced democracy in 1978. In ordering the Catalan Parliament to dissolve, Rajoy said new regional elections would be held Dec 21. European leaders made clear Friday that they would not be recognising Catalan independence and would support Rajoy, as leader of one of the bloc’s most important member states.

Source: Bangkok Post October 28, 2017 01:30 UTC