European leaders rallied to support Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy after the northeastern region of Catalonia declared independence on Friday following an illegal referendum at the beginning of the month.
In a dramatic day in Spain, a resolution approved by regional lawmakers in Barcelona asked all nations and institutions to recognize a new Catalan republic. In Madrid, the Spanish Senate approved measures giving Rajoy the power to seize control of the Catalan administration via Article 155 of the 1978 constitution. The separatists’ call was rejected in capital cities of a Europe where the specter of secessionist movements haunts governments from the U.K. to Italy.
