Catalonia: Spanish government demands Catalan leader clarify whether independence has been declared

Mariano Rajoy says it is 'necessary to return tranquility and calm'

Mariano Rajoy said clarification is needed before he can decide what steps to take (AP/Paul White)

Spain's prime minister had demanded Catalan's leader clarifies whether independence has been declared.

Mariano Rajoy said clarification is needed before he can decide what steps to take, going on to say the Catalan government's response would be crucial in deciding "events over the coming days."

In a veiled threat, he said the clarity was required by the constitutional article that would allow Spain to intervene and take control of some or all of Catalonia's regional powers.

He said the government "wants to offer certainty to citizens" and it is "necessary to return tranquility and calm."

Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont said he would proceed with the secession but would suspend it for a few weeks in order to facilitate negotiations.

The Spanish government has given little indication it is willing to entertain the talks.

Opposition Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez said Spain's two main political parties agreed to renegotiate laws governing autonomy.

He said a deal was reached with Mr Rajoy to open talks in six months on reforming the constitution that would allow changes to the current setup governing Spain's 17 regions, including Catalonia.

Mr Sanchez said his party wanted the reform to "allow for Catalonia to remain a part of Spain," and that the socialists were backing Mr Rajoy's call for clarification from Mr Puigdemont.

In a highly anticipated speech, Mr Puigdemont had said the landslide victory in the disputed referendum on 1 October gave his government in the regional capital, Barcelona, the grounds to implement its long-held desire to break its century-old ties with Spain.

But he proposed the regional parliament suspend the effects of the declaration to commence a dialogue and help reduce tension.

The central government in Madrid responded to say it did not accept the declaration and did not consider the referendum or its results to be valid.

Spain's deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said the Catalan leader "doesn't know where he is, where he is going and with whom he wants to go".

She said Mr Puigdemont had put Catalonia "in the greatest level of uncertainty seen yet".

Article 155 of the constitution allows the central government to take some or total control of any of its 17 regions if they don't comply with their legal obligations.

Some 2.3 million Catalans — or 43 per cent of the electorate in the northeastern region — voted in the referendum. Regional authorities say 90 per cent were in favour and declared the results valid. Those who opposed the referendum had said they would boycott the vote.

Mr Rajoy's government had repeatedly refused to grant Catalonia permission to hold a referendum on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, since it would only poll a portion of Spain's 46 million residents.

Catalonia's separatist camp has grown in recent years, strengthened by Spain's recent economic crisis and by Madrid's rejection of attempts to increase self-rule in the region.

The political deadlock has plunged Spain into its deepest political crisis in more than four decades, since democratic rule was restored following the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.