Catalan crisis: Spanish PM vows to end ‘separatist havoc’
MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said regional elections next month in Catalonia will help end “separatist havoc” in the northeastern region.
He addressed a campaign event on Sunday on his first visit there since imposing direct rule on the region a fortnight ago, BBC reported.
Defending his decision in Barcelona, he said he had “exhausted all roads” after the Catalan government’s unilateral declaration of independence last month.
Several key Catalan leaders are currently being detained over the move.
The crisis was sparked by a disputed referendum held in Catalonia in October, which had been declared illegal by the Spanish courts.
Catalan officials said the independence campaign won 92 per cent of the vote, from a turnout of 43 per cent.
Many of those who were against independence did not cast votes, refusing to recognise the legitimacy of the referendum.
The Catalan government subsequently declared independence. In response, the Spanish government dissolved the region’s parliament, imposed direct rule and called a snap regional election on December 21.
Speaking at a campaign event in Barcelona for his Popular Party (PP) on Sunday, Rajoy called on the participation of the “silent majority” to “convert their voice into a vote”.
“We must reclaim Catalonia from the havoc of separatism,” he added, saying: “With democracy, we want to reclaim Catalonia for everyone.”
He told PP supporters that the right result would boost Spain’s economic growth next year to above 3 per cent.
He called on companies not to leave the region, after hundreds of firms moved their headquarters away amid uncertainty over the region - which accounts for a fifth of Spain’s economy.
He also urged people in Spain to continue buying Catalan products.
For a short while, the man who ultimately runs Catalonia was in Catalonia. But Mariano Rajoy’s advisors made sure he would not run into vocal proindependence opponents.
Instead, he spoke to the party faithful. Rajoy’s main campaign event was held inside a hotel ballroom, in front of mostly older supporters.
Spain’s prime minister came here in order to win the regional Catalan election he’s called for December 21. His People’s Party doesn’t command widespread support in this region.
But the pro-spain movement as a whole makes up about half the population of Catalonia. An election victory for this sector would make it much harder for pro-independence forces to make another attempt to break away from Spain.
Russia and Turkey, together with Iran, have agreed on deescalation zones in Syria that helped reduce the fighting.
Putin’s talks with Erdogan follow a weekend statement on Syria approved by Putin and President Donald Trump. BRUSSELS: France, Germany and 20 other EU governments are set to sign a defence pact on Monday they hope marks a new era of European military integration to cement unity after Britain’s decision to quit the bloc. In Europe’s latest attempt to lessen its reliance on the United States, the 22 governments will create a formal club that should give the European Union a more coherent role in tackling international crises.
“We’ve never come this far before,” said a senior EU official said of EU defence integration efforts that date back to a failed bid in the 1950s. “We are in a new situation.”
The election of pro-european Emmanuel Macron as France’s president and warnings by US President Donald Trump that European allies must pay more towards their security have propelled the project forward, diplomats said.
European Union foreign and defence ministers are expected to sign the pact at around 1030 GMT on Monday in Brussels, and EU leaders to back it December to make it EU law.
A system to spot weak- nesses across EU armed forces, in coordination with US – led NATO, is due to start in a pilot stage, while a multi-billioneuro EU fund to support the pact is still under negotiation.
Long blocked by Britain, which feared the creation of an EU army, defence integration was revived by France and Germany after Britons voted to leave the EU in June 2016.
It follows years of spending cuts that have left European military forces short of vital assets.
They struggled in military and humanitarian missions in the Balkans, Libya and in Africa over the past 20 years and were caught off guard by Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Aside from Denmark, which has opted out of all EU defence, only Austria, Poland, Ireland and Malta have yet to decide whether to join the pact.
London is not part of the initiative but British officials have been pressing for third country involvement. Britain’s aerospace industry and its biggest defence firm BAE Systems fear losing out, diplomats said.
Britain may be able to join in, but only on an exceptional basis if it provides substantial funds and expertise.
Despite the broad show of support, France and Germany also have differences over what the club should seek to achieve. Paris originally wanted a vanguard of EU countries to bring money and assets to French-led military missions and projects.
Berlin has sought to be more inclusive, saying even the smallest EU country may have expertise to offer. Some officials are wary that approach could reduce effectiveness.
Proposals include work on a European medical command, a network of logistic hubs in Europe, creation of a European Crisis Response centre, and joint training of military officers.