France says independence of Catalan won’t be recognized

PARIS — Catalan independence would not enjoy international recognition, France’s minister for European affairs said Monday as the Spanish region’s leader threatens to announce a split.

Pressure has mounted on Catalan President Carles Puigdemont to back down after hundreds of thousands of protesters last week rallied to defend national unity.

“If there were a declaration of independence it would be unilateral and it wouldn’t be recognized,” Nathalie Loiseau said on CNews digital news channel.

“This crisis needs to be resolved through dialogue at all levels of Spanish politics,” she urged.

The minister also reiterated Brussels’ warning that an independent Catalonia would “automatically” be out of the European Union and have to reapply to join.

“We are allies and partners with Spain, and Spain is a major democracy, so we are not going to meddle in the internal affairs of Spain.”

She said Catalonia, which borders France, already has “considerable autonomy.”

In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stressed her backing for the “unity of Spain” in a phone call with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy amid a threat by Catalan separatists to declare independence, her spokesman said Monday.

In the weekend phone call, Ms. Merkel “affirmed her backing for the unity of Spain, and both sides exchanged views on ways in which internal Spanish dialogue can be boosted within the framework of the constitution,” said spokesman Steffen Seibert.

Mr. Seibert last week declined comment on the police violence that left hundreds of people injured, saying it was “not my task to assess police operations in Spain.”

He also said then that Ms. Merkel was not seeking to mediate between parties in the Spanish dispute.

Mr. Rajoy has issued a stern warning to Catalan leaders who have said they could declare independence this week. —