Press TV--  Speaking in a televised speech on Friday, Rajoy said a new regional election will be held in Catalonia on December 21.

Apart from removing Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, the Spanish premier also dismissed the region’s police chief and ordered central government ministries to take over the Catalan administration.

"Spain is living through a sad day," Rajoy said, noting, "We believe it is urgent to listen to Catalan citizens, to all of them, so that they can decide their future and nobody can act outside the law on their behalf."

Catalonia's 135-seat regional parliament declared independence from Spain on Friday as 70 Catalan lawmakers voted in favor and 10 against. The ballot was boycotted by the opposition Socialist Party, the People's Party (PP) and Ciudadanos.