(13 Oct 2017) Catalonia's leader faced mounting pressure Friday from all sides, with hardliners in the separatist movement demanding he declare independence from Spain once and for all.
Spain's government and the European Union, on the other hand, want him to abandon the secession plans altogether.
Spain's deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria blamed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont for creating such economic uncertainty that a recession could be in the cards, and for sinking tourism figures.
The central government has given Puigdemont a Monday deadline to make clear whether he has already declared independence for the region and to fall in line with Spain's laws by October 19 if he wants to avoid losing some or all of the region's autonomous powers.
For Spain, Puigdemont simply has to say one of two words in his response.
"It's just a yes or a no," Saenz de Santamaria told reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting.
She added that "it's in Puigdemont's hands" to avoid the extraordinary measures that would allow central authorities a partial or full suspension of the prosperous region's autonomy.
She also said that Spain's government is considering lowering the growth forecast for the Spanish economy in 2018 if the standoff in Catalonia continues.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also joined the appeal to the Catalan separatists to halt their secession bid, warning that such a move will only encourage other regions to break away.
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