Your Evening Briefing
Here are today’s top stories for Europe.
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Push came to shove over Catalonia and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy hit hard. Regional President Carles Puigdemont refused this morning to shelve his claim to independence, and Rajoy’s government will now begin the process of suspending the semi-autonomous region’s self-rule and reasserting direct control by Madrid. That’s Rajoy’s ultimate constitutional weapon, following an illegal referendum in the region on Oct. 1. Other European leaders offered him their support. —Andy Reinhardt