People react at Sant Jaume Square after Catalan regional parliament declares independence from Spain in Barcelona, Spain October 27, 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain on Friday sacked Catalonia’s regional government, dissolved the Catalan parliament and called a snap election in the region for Dec. 21, in a bid to draw a line under Spain’s worst political crisis in 40 years.

“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,” Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in a televised speech.