MADRID: Spain moved Saturday to seize direct control of Catalonia, sacking its police chief a day after the Catalan regional parliament’s independence declaration sent shock waves through Europe. The dismissal of Trapero, seen as an ally of his region’s separatist leaders, was announced in Saturday’s official government gazette. Madrid accuses Trapero of disobeying court orders to block a banned October 1 independence referendum. Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria is due to meet later with secretaries of state who will likely take charge of Catalonia’s regional ministries. EU President Donald Tusk insisted Madrid “remains our only interlocutor” in Spain, but urged it to exercise restraint.

Source: Manila Times October 28, 2017 10:18 UTC