BRUSSELS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- European Leaders on Friday sided with Madrid amid spiraling tensions prompted by the Catalan parliament's unilateral declaration of independence.
"For EU nothing changes. Spain remains our only interlocutor," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted. "I hope the Spanish government favors force of argument, not argument of force."
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday stressed the "constitutional order" in a speech at the Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions in French Guiana.
"The European Union is first and foremost a set based on the rule of law, respect for it. It's true in the French Republic ... This is also true in Spain. The constitutional order is what it is, it must be respected," he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the conference with Juncker, underscored that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is his only interlocutor in Spain, reiterating France's full support to the Spanish government.
"There is a rule of law in Spain, with constitutional rules. Rajoy wants to enforce them and he has my full support," Macron said.
In a separate statement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France "won't recognize the declaration of independence that the Catalan parliament has adopted."
A spokesperson of British Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain will not recognize the Catalan parliament's declaration of independence.
"It is based on a vote that was declared illegal by the Spanish courts. We continue to want to see the rule of law upheld, the Spanish constitution respected, and Spanish unity preserved," the spokesperson added.
German government spokesperson Stephen Seibert tweeted that "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Spain are inviolable." He said that Catalonia's unilateral declaration of independence violates these protected principles.
Seibert said Germany supports "the clear attitude of the Spanish Prime Minister to ensure and restore the constitutional order." However, he also expressed the hope that "the parties will use all existing opportunities for dialogue and de-escalation."
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Friday that only talks based on the rule of law and within the framework of the Spanish constitution can lead to a solution.
Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the country supports the territorial integrity of Spain.
"We call on all authorities in the country to engage in constructive dialogue, responsibility and respect for the rule of law -- to protect the stability, unity and security of citizens," the statement said.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday announced the immediate sacking of Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his government and called new elections in the region on Dec. 21.
Moreover, Rajoy also sacked the chief of Catalan police, as well as closed the delegations of the Catalan government in Madrid and abroad.
The move followed the decision taken by the Catalan parliament earlier in the day to unilaterally declare independence of the region in the northeast of Spain.
Spain's rich Catalonia autonomous region held a referendum on self-determination on Oct. 1, which had been declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court.
Rajoy told reporters: "Spanish people were living a sad day when the lack of reason had gone over the head of the law," and that his government has begun "to adopt the measures against an inadmissible kidnapping of the rights of the majority of Catalan."
The application of Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, which suspends the autonomy of the Catalan region and hands control of key Catalan institutions to Madrid, was approved by the Spanish Senate on Friday afternoon.
Rajoy had earlier spoken from the corridors of the Senate to describe the independence declaration as a "crime."
"What has happened in the Catalan parliament shows how necessary it was to approve this article," said Rajoy.
After the Catalan parliament approved independence, the Spanish Constitutional Court accepted an appeal presented by the Catalan branch of the Socialist Party (PSC) against the validity of the declaration.
Madrid sources confirm that the Spanish government will appeal to the Constitutional Court against the Catalan declaration of independence.
The Spanish State Prosecutor will on Monday consider presenting accusations of "rebellion" against Puigdemont and his government, charges which could lead to a jail term of 15 to 30 years.
