Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy arriving in Brussels today for an EU summit. EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP

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The Spanish government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is set to meet on Saturday to study the application of Article 155 in Catalonia – which would see elements of Catalonia’s autonomy suspended.

The move comes in the wake of a letter to Rajoy from the premier of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, in which the Catalan leader said the “suspension [of the declaration of independence] remains in force,” but in which he threatened a formal vote on independence inside the Catalan parliament.

Details of the letter were revealed by the radio station RAC1 shortly before 10am today – the second deadline set by the central government for Puigdemont to clarify whether or not he had unilaterally declared independence for the northeastern region.

On Wednesday it emerged that the Popular Party (PP) government of Rajoy was prepared to halt plans to implement Article 155 if Puigdemont were to call early elections.

The regional premier sounded out his PDeCAT party yesterday on such a move, but it was rejected. The group is calling on Puigdemont to lift the suspension on the declaration of independence, should Article 155 be applied.