In a few moments the First Minister of the Catalan Regional Government is expected to announce that there will be regional elections on the 20th of December.

Thus the Unilateral Declaration of Independence has been averted and already the markets are responding favourably.

The coalition partners, the CuP, are very angry and disappointed so there could be civil disturbances following the First Minister’s announcement. This party, a radical-left anarchist party, moves with ease ‘at street level.’

Now, it depends on the Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajo, whose party has an absolute majority in the Senate, whether he is going to invoke Article 155, which would effectively suspend the regional autonomous government and rule would be returned to Madrid.

15.15h Update: The 13.30h appearance was postponed until 14.30h and then postponed again until 15.00h with an appearance in the Parliament. Subjected to tremendous pressure, both from the Central Government and the CuP parteners, it looks as if Prime Minister Puigdemont might do a U-turn and go ahead with the UDI.

21.36h Update: What a day! Catalan Prime Minister Puigdemont finally appeared after five in the afternoon in a parliamentary session where he said that as he had received no assurance from Madrid that if he convoked regional elections the Central Government would not invoke Art. 155, so he had decided to go back on the election decision.

Outside the regional parliament prior to his announcement pro-independence protesters had branded him a traitor because of his previous announcement to call elections and not go ahead with the UDI. Outside the mood changed dramatically with this latest U-turn.

Meanwhile in the Senate in Madrid the debate on the text of the Art. 155 was approved so that tomorrow’s session would comprise of a vote on its adoption in law. The socialists proposed several amendments, which appear to have been accepted, one of which could be that if tomorrow Puigdemont announces regional elections the 155, although approved, would not be applied.

So after a very tense day, everything rests on a session in the Senate and another one in the regional parliament – Puigdemont has one last opportunity to convoke elections.

There has been altogether too much intransigence in the governing conservative party in Madrid and in the pro-independence movement in Barcelona.

(News: Spain)