Spain’s government is holding crisis talks after the Catalan leader signed a suspended declaration of independence and called for dialogue with Madrid.

The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, is chairing an emergency cabinet meeting in response to an address to parliament by the Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, on Tuesday evening.

In his address, Puigdemont said that, while the referendum earlier this month had given his government a mandate to create a sovereign republic, he would not immediately push ahead with independence from Spain.

Rajoy has vowed to use everything in his power to prevent independence and has refused to rule out imposing direct rule over the semi-autonomous region – an unprecedented move many fear could lead to civil unrest.

Source: MENA