Spain to apply article 155 based on Catalan gov't's disobedience: media

MADRID - The Spanish government will apply the article 155 of the Spanish constitution based on the Catalan government disobedience, the Spanish news agency EFE reported on Saturday.

The Spanish government, whose cabinet meeting discusses the specific measures to implement according to the article, justified the decision based on "rebel, systematic and conscious disobedience" of the regional government of Catalonia, or Generalitat.

According to them, the Generalitat does not commit to the laws and their actions "seriously" affect the general interest of Spain.

After the extraordinary cabinet meeting, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy appeared in a press conference to explain the specific measures agreed that will be passed to the Senate for ratification.

Rajoy said the president of the regional government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, failed to clarify whether he had declared the independence of the region or not after a referendum declared illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.

This would lead to the application of the article 155 of Spain's constitution to bring pro-independence leaders into line.