The Spanish prime minister has outlined plans to remove Catalonia's leaders, but not dissolve the parliament of the semi-autonomous region.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said after an emergency cabinet meeting that the government intended to hold regional elections as soon as possible.
The measures put forward by the cabinet now go to a vote by Spain's Senate.
They come almost three weeks after Catalonia held a disputed independence referendum.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has ignored pleas from the national government to abandon his independence campaign.
Mr Rajoy said the government had no choice in seeking to impose direct rule, arguing that the Catalan government's actions were "contrary to the law and seeking confrontation".
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