Puigdemont: Emergency Meeting and Catalonia

puigdemont: Rajoy called an emergency meeting after Catalonia's President Carles Puigdemont announced on Tuesday that he had accepted the mandate for Catalonia to become an independent state following a banned referendum earlier this month, according to The Japan Times. But in a parliamentary speech that left many confused, Puigdemont immediately called for Catalonia's independence to be suspended to allow for negotiations with the central government. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has vowed to do everything in his power to prevent the region's independence in a dispute that has hurled Spain into its deepest political crisis in decades. ; He has refused to rule out imposing direct rule over the semi-autonomous region a move that many fear could lead to unrest. On Wednesday, a government source who refused to be named said all options were on the table as the crisis talks were underway. It has 17 semi-autonomous regions with varying degrees of control over issues such as education and health care. Thanks to its constitution, adopted in 1978 following decades of civil strife and dictatorial rule, Spain is one of the Western world's most decentralized nations. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.