Catalan President Carles Puigdemont (R) sits next to Catalan Government Presidency Councillor Jordi Turull as they attend the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) extraordinary national council meeting in Barcelona, Spain October 18, 2017. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's political showdown with Catalonia is set to reach a new level on Thursday when political leaders in Madrid and Barcelona are expected to make good on pledges made to their supporters to stick to their tough positions over the region's future.
In an unprecedented move since Spain returned to democracy in the late 1970s, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will impose direct rule in Catalonia unless the region's leader Carles Puigdemont retracts by 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) an ambiguous declaration of independence he made last week.
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