"We Spaniards are living through a sad day in which a lack of reason prevailed upon the law and demolished democracy in Catalonia," Rajoy said as he announced steps to "restore normality". Steffen Seibert, spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Berlin "does not recongise such a declaration of independence" by Catalonia. Battle of willsThe issue is far from a clear-cut battle of wills between Madrid and Catalonia, however. Dozens of opposition MPs walked out before Friday´s secret ballot in the Catalan parliament, one lamenting "a dark day" for democracy. Later in the day, hundreds of anti-independence protesters gathered in central Barcelona, chanting "I am Spanish, Spanish!"

Source: The Nation Bangkok October 28, 2017 01:30 UTC