MANY Spaniards have long hoped that an all-out confrontation between the government and the pro-independence leaders of Catalonia could be avoided. But this week time all but ran out. On October 21st Mariano Rajoy, Spain's prime minister, asked the Senate to grant him the constitutional power to dismiss the Catalan regional government, impose direct rule and call a fresh regional election within six months. With Catalan leaders pledging resistance, it is unclear whether this heralds the start of a solution or a worsening of Spain's constitutional crisis.
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