Catalonia's leader Carles Puigdemont said Thursday he had considered calling elections in an effort to ease the separatist crisis as Madrid prepares to seize control of the region, but decided there were no "guarantees" to do so.

In a televised statement, he said it was now "up to the (regional) parliament," which is expected to meet later Thursday, to decide on how to respond to the central government's planned takeover of Catalan political powers following an outlawed independence referendum.