Catalonia declares independence - and Spain enters uncharted territory

Shortly after Catalonia’s parliament in Barcelona voted to declare independence from Spain on October 27, the senate in Madrid voted to trigger Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, removing Catalonia’s autonomy.

In his speech to the senate requesting that deputies approve the proposal, the Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy justified his request in the face of “a continuous process of anti-democratic decisions” in Catalonia.

One of the first measures required by Article 155 will be the sacking of the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, which would pave the way for Rajoy to call elections within six months.

Meanwhile,