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| Catalonia’s Leader, Facing Deadline, Won’t Say if Region Declared Independence | Catalonia’s Leader, Facing Deadline, Won’t Say if Region Declared Independence |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| MADRID — Facing a deadline to state Catalonia’s intentions in a separatist conflict with Spain, the region’s leader wrote to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Monday asking to negotiate a solution but declining to clarify whether independence had been declared. | |
| Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan leader, asked for an urgent meeting with Mr. Rajoy, according to a draft of the letter, and suggested that the conflict could be resolved, with the help of international mediators, over a period of two months. | Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan leader, asked for an urgent meeting with Mr. Rajoy, according to a draft of the letter, and suggested that the conflict could be resolved, with the help of international mediators, over a period of two months. |
| Mr. Puigdemont also called on Mr. Rajoy to end “the repression against the Catalan people and government,” referring to the court summons on Monday for the chief of the autonomous Catalan police and the two leaders of the main pro-independence citizens’ movements, who could all face sedition charges. | Mr. Puigdemont also called on Mr. Rajoy to end “the repression against the Catalan people and government,” referring to the court summons on Monday for the chief of the autonomous Catalan police and the two leaders of the main pro-independence citizens’ movements, who could all face sedition charges. |
| “The priority for my government is to search intensely for dialogue,” Mr. Puigdemont wrote. | “The priority for my government is to search intensely for dialogue,” Mr. Puigdemont wrote. |
| But he did not address the crucial question of whether he had declared independence, a question that arose after he delivered a perplexing speech before Catalonia’s regional Parliament on Tuesday, in which he appeared to declare but then immediately suspend independence. | But he did not address the crucial question of whether he had declared independence, a question that arose after he delivered a perplexing speech before Catalonia’s regional Parliament on Tuesday, in which he appeared to declare but then immediately suspend independence. |
| The speech, which came after a highly disputed referendum on the matter on Oct. 1, was meant to create “deliberate confusion,” according to Mr. Rajoy, in part because Mr. Puigdemont is struggling to keep together his fragile separatist coalition. | The speech, which came after a highly disputed referendum on the matter on Oct. 1, was meant to create “deliberate confusion,” according to Mr. Rajoy, in part because Mr. Puigdemont is struggling to keep together his fragile separatist coalition. |
| Hard-line secessionists want an abrupt and unilateral rupture with the central government in Madrid, while conservative and more moderate separatists have become increasingly worried about the consequences of such a move for Catalonia, particularly after dozens of companies announced plans to relocate their headquarters outside the region. | Hard-line secessionists want an abrupt and unilateral rupture with the central government in Madrid, while conservative and more moderate separatists have become increasingly worried about the consequences of such a move for Catalonia, particularly after dozens of companies announced plans to relocate their headquarters outside the region. |
| Mr. Rajoy made clear last week that without clarification from Mr. Puigdemont, he would use emergency powers to take administrative control of Catalonia. Mr. Rajoy had given Mr. Puigdemont until 10 a.m. Monday to respond — or until Thursday to take a step back and withdraw completely his plans for secession. | Mr. Rajoy made clear last week that without clarification from Mr. Puigdemont, he would use emergency powers to take administrative control of Catalonia. Mr. Rajoy had given Mr. Puigdemont until 10 a.m. Monday to respond — or until Thursday to take a step back and withdraw completely his plans for secession. |
| Mr. Rajoy initiated a request last week for his government to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution — a broad, forceful tool that has never been used — that would allow him to take control of the region. | Mr. Rajoy initiated a request last week for his government to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution — a broad, forceful tool that has never been used — that would allow him to take control of the region. |
| The article would give Madrid the authority to suspend Catalan lawmakers and take charge of the region’s autonomous administration, although Mr. Rajoy has not committed to an emergency intervention. | The article would give Madrid the authority to suspend Catalan lawmakers and take charge of the region’s autonomous administration, although Mr. Rajoy has not committed to an emergency intervention. |