All eyes on Catalan leaders as deadline looms to abandon independence bid and Spain threatens to seize control

Spain said it would take the unprecedented step of seeking to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy if the region’s leader does not abandon his independence bid, on the eve of a government-imposed deadline.

Separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, whose banned independence referendum on October 1 has sparked Spain’s worst political crisis in decades, was given until 10am on Thursday to tell the central government in Madrid whether he is declaring a split from the rest of the country.

Unless he backs down, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said Madrid would trigger article 155 of Spain’s constitution, a never before used measure that could allow it to take direct control over semi-autonomous Catalonia.

It could allow Madrid to suspend Puigdemont’s regional government and eventually trigger new elections in Catalonia, but the move would risk further escalating a crisis that has sparked huge street rallies, rattled stock markets and deeply worried Spain’s EU partners.

“All I ask of Mr Puigdemont is that he acts with good sense,” Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told parliament on Wednesday.