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The Spain Report: Spain Preparing To Suspend Regional Government In Catalonia As Mas Insists Indy Vote Will Be Held (September 16th, 2014)
"There are lines that cannot be crossed", said Mr. García Margallo during a breakfast meeting with journalists: "The government will use all of the means at its disposal to prevent a secessionist referendum. The law, and only the law".

Asked if those measures included suspending regional government, the Foreign Minister replied: "It includes everything that needs to be included to prevent it".

"Within the framework of the Constitution and the rule of law, everything is possible; but outside of the framework of the Constitution and the rule of law, nothing is possible."



A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Sep 16th, 2014 at 06:39:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
outside of the framework of the Constitution and the rule of law, nothing is possible.

He sincerely hopes! However, the success of Franco would seem to disprove his thesis.

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Tue Sep 16th, 2014 at 11:40:50 PM EST
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In Spain we like to think we're living after 1978, though it may look increasingly to the casual observer that Europe is stuck in a mock version of the 1930s.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Sep 17th, 2014 at 04:20:35 AM EST
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Wait a minute : is it constitutional to suspend a regional government?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Wed Sep 17th, 2014 at 03:39:47 AM EST
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Article 155
1. If an Autonomous Community does not fulfil the obligations imposed upon it by the Constitution or other laws, or acts in a way seriously prejudicing the general interests of Spain, the Government, after lodging a complaint with the President of the Autonomous Community and failing to receive satisfaction therefore, may, following approval granted by an absolute majority of the Senate, take the mea-sures necessary in order to compel the latter forcibly to meet said obligations, or in order to protect the above-mentioned general interests.
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Wed Sep 17th, 2014 at 03:58:41 AM EST
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The "suspension" of autonomy is actually a bypassing of the devolved government's authority:
155.2. With a view to implementing the measures provided in the foregoing clause, the Government may issue instructions to all the authorities of the Autonomous Communities.


A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Sep 17th, 2014 at 04:22:15 AM EST
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How would those clauses on bypassing autonomy comport with laws and treaties forming the basis of the EU?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Wed Sep 17th, 2014 at 10:00:58 AM EST
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Spanish regions' autonomy statutes are acts of the Spanish Parliament and thus subordinate to the Constitution. There would be no constitutional violation and the EU would probably have to say it's an internal matter.

The European Parliament might make nonbinding political declarations, of course.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Sep 17th, 2014 at 10:24:08 AM EST
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And would the authorities of the Autonomous Communities follow such orders?

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by A swedish kind of death on Wed Sep 17th, 2014 at 02:23:45 PM EST
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I suppose if they don't they might be violating the law, too.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Sep 17th, 2014 at 03:43:26 PM EST
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