The leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, has ruled out calling a snap election.

There had been speculation he would dissolve the regional parliament and call an election for December.

Catalonia's main newspaper, La Vanguardia, said a decision to dissolve parliament had been made following a seven-hour meeting on Wednesday evening.

But there was confusion after Mr Puigdemont cancelled an address he had been due to make on Thursday afternoon.

He did speak later, saying he had decided against an election because he had not received sufficient guarantees that the central government's "abusive" move to take control of Catalonia would be suspended.


The conservative government had offered to halt the measures if a new election was called in Catalonia, before backtracking on that.

Mr Puigdemont said it was now "up to the (regional) parliament" to decide how to respond.

Tensions have been high since an independence referendum - declared illegal by Madrid - was held on 1 October.

:: Catalonia referendum: The fight for independence explained

Image: Students carry a pro-independence 'Estelada' flag in Barcelona

In central Barcelona, thousands of protesters - mainly high-school and university students - demonstrated against Madrid's plans to take control of some of Catalonia's affairs.

The atmosphere was good-natured, with some of the young people making last-minute banners out of cardboard.

Not all of them were in favour of independence.

Martina Gallego, 17, said she did not want Catalonia to secede from Spain.

She does, though, object strongly to how the Spanish government is treating the region.

:: Catalonia's 'silent majority' frustrated over lack of anti-independence campaign

Will Catalonia create a domino effect?

Mr Puigdemont has submitted an eight-page document to the Spanish Senate, appealing to senators to reject Madrid's desire to impose more central control on Catalonia.

He said the Spanish capital was "trying to create an even more extraordinarily serious situation by taking away the political autonomy of Catalonia".

The Senate, however, is expected on Friday to agree to extra control from Madrid.

The new measures include sacking Catalonia's elected government, curtailing the regional parliament's powers, and imposing controls over regional police, finances and public media.

Autonomy is a hugely sensitive issue in Catalonia, which had its powers taken away under Spain's military dictatorship.

Home to 7.5 million people, Catalonia, one of Spain's wealthiest regions, fiercely defends its own language and culture.