text: Catalan parties discuss next move after Spain raises stakes - World - Vietnam News | Politics, Business, Economy, Society, Life, Sports - VietNam News
  Update: October, 23/2017 - 11:51
  Protesters wave pro-independence Catalan Estelada flags during a demonstration in Barcelona on October 21, 2017 in support of two separatist leaders Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, who have been detained pending an investigation into sedition charges. — AFP/VNA Photo
  BARCELONA — Catalan parties were due to meet on Monday to discuss their next steps at the start of a week that will see Spain dismiss the region's government to stave off its threat to break away from the country.
  Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Saturday announced he would remove Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his executive, with Madrid taking control of ministries under unprecedented measures to stop the region breaking away.
  The Catalan parties will meet on Monday to set a date and agenda for a gathering of the regional parliament to debate their next steps -- a session that could potentially give the ruling separatists another opportunity to declare unilateral independence, which they have been threatening to do since a banned referendum on the issue on October 1.
  Responding to accusations of a "coup", he said: "If there is a coup d'etat, it is one that has been followed by Mr. Puigdemont and his government."
  The Senate, where Rajoy's conservative Popular Party holds a majority and his approach to Catalonia enjoys support from other major parties, is set to approve the measures by the end of the week. — AFP