Catalan government

"The tourism sector has to adapt to the situation we are experiencing, which is absolutely abnormal," a member of the Catalan government told the Financial Times in an article published on April 18. "It is a very important sector, but with the same rights and the same obligations as any other."

Catalonia's regional government sought on Auug. 20 to reimpose a curfew in Barcelona and dozens of other cities in northeastern Spain, a day after a court ordered the measure lifted.

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The riot police charged at protesters and fired foam projectiles, while protesters threw cans, stones and flares at riot police, and set garbage containers and cardboard on fire, near the Department of home affairs of the regional government in the capital of Catalonia.
The fire has blocked at least four streets.

Catalonia is heading to the polls in a snap election to decide the future of the separatist project on Thursday./aljazeera.com/

The dismissed Catalan government, headed by former regional President Carles Puigdemont, declared independence from Spain on October 27.

The Catalan regional parliament has voted to declare independence from Spain, while the Spanish parliament has approved direct rule over the region.

Catalan MPs backed the motion 70-10 in a ballot boycotted by the opposition.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy earlier told senators direct rule was needed to return “law, democracy and stability” to Catalonia.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont kept friends and foes guessing on Wednesday on whether he intends to unilaterally declare independence as the Spanish government prepares to impose direct rule to stop the region breaking away, Reuters reports.

The Spanish government is to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy and impose direct rule after the region’s president refused to abandon the push for independence that has pitched Spain into its worst political crisis for 40 years.

The Spanish government's representative in Catalonia has apologised to those injured during police efforts to stop Sunday's independence referendum, reported BBC. 

But Enric Millo blamed the Catalan government for holding an illegal vote.

Meanwhile the government in Madrid has issued a decree making it easier for companies to move their headquarters away from Catalonia.

Spain’s Constitutional Court has suspended a session of the Catalan parliament scheduled for Monday in which local leaders were expected to declare Catalonia’s unilateral independence from Spain.
The ruling followed a legal challenge by the Catalan Socialist Party, which opposes secession, according to El Pais newspaper.

Catalonia will proclaim the region's independence from Spain within several days, Catalonia's President Carles Puigdemont told the BBC broadcaster.

According to Puigdemont, the Catalan government will "act at the end of this week or the beginning of next."