EU tells Spain: Catalonia remains an internal matter

The Catalan parliament in Barcelona voted on Friday afternoon around 3 PM for the independence of Catalonia from Spain, after which the Spanish Senate in Madrid activated Article 155, which allows for extraordinary measures to prevent secession.

17:50 Spain remains an important NATO ally, and Catalonia is an internal issue that should be resolved within Spanish institutions, said an Alliance official.

When asked to comment on the Catalan parliament declaring the region's independence from Spain, the Alliance official said that Spain is an important ally whose contribution to NATO is very significant.

The issue of Catalonia is an internal matter that should be resolved within the Spanish constitutional order.

17:40 Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont called on Catalans today to remain calm ahead of expected measures by the Spanish central authorities.

Addressing hundreds of independence supporters gathered, who filled the Catalan parliament, Puigdemont said that "in the coming days, we must maintain our values of pacifism and our dignity. The construction of the republic is in our hands and in yours."

17:26 The US State Department supports Spain's efforts to prevent Catalonia's secession, Reuters reported.

17:17 The Spanish prosecutor's office will seek to charge those responsible for the vote on Catalonia's independence with rebellion, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office said today. He said that indictments could be filed on Monday. Under the Spanish criminal code, rebellion can be punished with up to 25 years in prison, or a shorter sentence if the rebellion did not lead to violence, Beta reported.

16:50 The crisis between the Spanish central government and the northeastern province of Catalonia, which declared independence on Friday, has been ongoing for seven years.

16:17 For the European Union, nothing changes, Spain remains the sole interlocutor for Brussels. I hope the Spanish government will remain committed to arguments and will not use force, said European Commission President Donald Tusk.

16:09 The Spanish Senate activated Article 155 after Catalonia declared independence. That decision was supported by 214 members of the Senate, and 47 were against it.

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