SPAIN moved to suspend Catalonia’s government yesterday after regional President Carles Puigdemont refused to back down from seeking secession.

Just minutes before the morning deadline set by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for the regional government to renounce is secession bid, Mr Puigdemont sent a letter threatening to declare independence if Madrid refused his demand earlier this week for two months of talks.

“If the state government persists in blocking dialogue and the repression continues, the parliament of Catalonia will proceed, if deemed appropriate, to vote on the formal declaration of independence,” he wrote.