The Senate approves the application of Article 155

The application of Article 155 of the Constitution is approved with votes in favour by the PP, PSOE, Ciudadanos, and Coalición Canaria. This means that a series of measures will be implemented to enable Mariano Rajoy to intervene in the autonomy of the Government of Catalonia, including calling elections in Catalonia within six months and will finalise with the appointment of a new President of the Catalan Government. Following the Council of Ministers on Friday 27th, Rajoy announces the interventions to be taken, including the dissolution of the Parliament of Catalonia and calling elections for 21 December; the resignation of the President of the Government of Catalonia along with certain other senior officials; different ministries assigned the functions held by the Catalan government’s ministers, while the functions until now held by the presidency and the vice-presidency of the Government of Catalonia will be allocated to the Spanish central government’s vice-president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría. Other bodies, such as the Advisory Council to theNational Transition, the DIPLOCAT and the Government of Catalonia’s delegations are to be abolished. These measures will enter into force once they are published in the BOE on 28 October. From then on , the electoral period will begin.