Spain yesterday moved 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 firing of Josep Lluis Trapero, the highest-ranking officer of the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police, follows the dismissal of Catalonia's president, his deputy, all ministers, and the entire parliament. Moving to quash what he termed an "escalation of disobedience", Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called December 21 elections under sweeping powers granted by the Senate in response to Catalan lawmakers voting to declare an independent republic.
The dismissal of Trapero was announced in yesterday's official government gazette. Madrid accuses Trapero of disobeying court orders to block a banned October 1 independence referendum. All eyes will be on whether separatist executive, led by Carles Puigdemont, will step aside for caretaker envoys from Madrid.
