Catalonia to declare independence from Spain in coming days, after king slams leaders for ‘unacceptable disloyalty’
President Carles Puigdemont said his government would ask the region’s parliament to make the official declaration after votes have all been tallied
Catalonia will move as soon as this weekend to declare independence from Spain, the region’s leader said, moving the European Union country closer to a rupture that threatens the foundations of its young democracy.
The constitutional crisis has hit the euro, Spanish stocks and bonds while Volkswagen’s Spanish unit SEAT warned of disrupted activity on Tuesday because of protests. Catalonia’s Caixabank and Spain’s economy minister have meanwhile sought to assure bank customers that their deposits are secure.
Catalan President Carles Puigdemont told the BBC in remarks published on Wednesday that his government would ask the region’s parliament to declare independence after tallying votes from last weekend’s referendum, which Madrid deems illegal.
His comment came after Spain’s King Felipe VI accused secessionist leaders of shattering democratic principles and dividing Catalan society, as tens of thousands protested against a violent police crackdown on Sunday’s vote.