Catalan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Institutional
Relations and Transparency, Raul Romeva, speaking on
BBC Radio 4’s news and current affairs programme,
said: “How can the European Union democracies be
credible if they allow the Spanish government to take
control of Catalonia?”
Mr Romeva added: “How can the European Union live
with that situation? How can EU democracy survive?
And how can they be credible if they allow this to
happen?
“We cannot simply keep blind and deaf to that. It is an
[attack] on democracy. We are defending in Catalonia
the principles, the values, that we supposedly are
defending in the European Union.”
Referencing the imprisonment of the president of the
Omnium Cultural Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, the
head of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), he said:
“Today we have in the European Union political
prisoners, people that have been defending the peace,
people that have been defending dialogue.”
Catalan Raul Romeva has suggested that the EU might
not survive if Madrid attempts to impose control
The ‘Two Jordis’, as they have become known, are
currently being detained in a prison in Madrid facing
charges of sedition.
Mr Romevo added that attempts by the Spanish Prime
Minister Mariano Rajoy would be resisted by officials in
Catalonia , including the regional police force - Mossos.
He warned “the people and the institutions will not let
this happen” and added that he had “no doubt” the
region’s civil service and local police force would
continue to “follow the instructions given by the
democratically elected responsible”.
Head of Mossos Josep Lluis Trapero is also facing
sedition charges but has not yet been jailed – however
he has been forced to surrender his passport.
Catalonia latest: Protesters
march in London and
Barcelona to show solidarity
Sat, October 21, 2017
Catalonia latest: Protesters took to the streets of
London and Barcelona today to show solidarity with
Catalonia after the Spanish government moved to
strip the region of its powers.
PLAY
Catalonia latest: Thousands joined a rally for
independence [REUTERS]
REUTERS 1 of 14
Catalonia
independence:
Authorities warn
they will NOT follow
order...
Catalonia to be
LAWLESS: Region’s
police will NOT
follow Rajoy’s order
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EU officials have so far either turned a blind eye to
events in Catalonia, claiming it is an internal matter, or
have fully-supported the actions by Mr Rajoy.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
has said that he does not back Catalan independence.
Speaking to a student forum in Luxembourg he warned
that a break by Catalonia could make the EU to
complicated to govern, causing “a lot more chaos”.
Mr Juncker said: “People have to undertake their
responsibility, I would like to explain why the
commission doesn’t get involved in that. A lot of
people say, ‘Juncker should get involved in that.’
EU leaders with Mariano Rajoy and the Spanish King
Felipe
“We
do
not
do it
because if we do … it will create a lot more chaos in
the EU. We cannot do anything. We cannot get
involved in that.”
He added that he feared if Catalonia became
independent, other regions would follow.
He said: “I am very concerned because the life in
communities seems to be so difficult. Everybody tries
to find their own in their own way and they think that
their identity cannot live in parallel to other people’s
identity.
“But if you allow – and it is not up to us of course –
but if Catalonia is to become independent, other
people will do the same. I don’t like that. I don’t like to
have a euro in 15 years that will be 100 different
states. It is difficult enough with 17 states. With many
more states it will be impossible.”
Catalan independence leaders demonstrated over
Spanish control in Barcelona at the weekend
European Commission First Vice-president Frans
Timmermans appeared to endorse the violence against
voters during the independence referendum vote on
October 1 as “proportionate use of force” in an
address to the European Parliament.
European Parliament’s own Vice-president, Ramón
Luis Valcárcel, even accused the Catalans of staging a
“nationalistic coup against Europe” by holding the
referendum in the first place.
Theresa May has also backed Mr Rajoy.
In a recent telephone conversation with the Spanish
leader, the Prime Minister said any unilateral
declaration from Catalonia “would be inconsistent with
the rule of law,” according to a statement from
Downing Street.
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