Madrid: Catalonian president Carles Puigdemont is set to call a snap regional election for Dec. 20, local media said on Friday, a move that could help break a one-month deadlock between the Madrid government and Catalan separatists seeking independence from Spain.

Barcelona-based La Vanguardia said Puigdemont had taken the decision in a bid to convince the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy not to enforce direct rule in the region.

Puigdemont will deliver an address at 1:30pm (1130 GMT), his office said.

Calling an election could either strengthen Puigdemont’s mandate if pro-independence parties won, or allow him a graceful exit if they did not.

But it could also heighten divisions within the secessionist camp and bring the current campaign to a halt.

Cracks appeared late on Thursday in the secessionist coalition as members backed a vote while others said there was no alternative to independence.

An opinion poll published by the El Periodico newspaper on Sunday showed a snap election would probably have results similar to the last ballot, in 2015, when a coalition of pro-independence parties formed a minority government.