European Council President Donald Tusk (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

BRUSSELS, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- European Council President Donald Tusk on Friday threw his weight behind Spain amid spiraling tension caused by Catalan parliament's unilateral declaration of independence.

"For EU nothing changes. Spain remains our only interlocutor," Tusk tweeted. "I hope the Spanish government favors force of argument, not argument of force."

The Catalan regional assembly on Friday voted with 70 votes in favor, 10 against and 2 blank ballots to declare "the formation of a Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign state with social and democratic rights."

Directly after the vote, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy posted a tweet in which he asked for "calm from all Spaniards. The rule of law will restore legality in Catalonia."

Earlier on Friday, the Spanish Senate voted to approve the application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, with 214 votes in favor and 47 against.

The article will be put into effect immediately following a cabinet meeting later Friday, and will see Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his executive team sacked from their positions, and the control of key Catalan institutions handed to Madrid over the coming days.