Spanish gov't to hold meeting over situation in Catalonia

MADRID - The Spanish government will meet on Wednesday due to the extraordinary situation created on Tuesday after president of the regional government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, said that the effects of the declaration of independence would be suspended to open a period of dialogue.

Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, said on Tuesday there would be an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation.

Saenz de Santamaria said that Puigdemont has made Catalonia unstable and that his speech showed he does not know where he is going.

According to Saenz de Santamaria, the regional government of Catalonia, Generalitat, cannot confirm the results of the referendum because it is illegal.

Neither Puigdemont nor others can draw conclusions from a law that does not exist, a referendum that did not take place, she said, adding that the laws passed by the Catalan parliament were illegal too.

Puigdemont appeared at the Catalan parliament on Tuesday and proposed to suspend the effects of the declaration of independence a few weeks in order to open a process of dialogue.