Catalonia versus Spain needs strong mediator, says mayor
MOSCOW: The European Commission should become a mediator in the resolution of the conflict between Spanish and Catalan authorities over the latter’s plans to hold an independence referendum, mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau said in a letter to 27 European mayors.
“The Catalan question can no longer be considered merely an internal Spanish matter, it now needs to be approached from its proper European perspective…
“I wish to inform you then that I shall be calling on the European Commission to open a mediation space for the Spanish government and the Catalan regional government to take part in and I would like you to convey this call for dialogue, as far as possible, to every authority you consider appropriate,” Colau said in the letter released on her Twitter account yesterday.
Colau indicated there was a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms in Catalonia, where Spanish authorities were shutting down Catalan government’s websites, organisations of civil society and arresting regional government officials.
Colau reiterated in her letter that the Catalan issue was no longer a problem relating only to Spain’s internal affairs, as the developments in Barcelona had “direct effects on Madrid, Paris, London and Brussels”.
Ealier this month, Catalonia’s parliament passed a bill enabling an independence referendum to be held on Sunday.
The Spanish government called the bill illegal and challenged it in the Constitutional Court.
The court has since suspended all laws concerning the referendum that were adopted by the Catalan government and parliament. Thus, any such action by Catalan authorities is now considered illegal by Madrid.
According to a recent Metroscopia survey, 57% of Catalans believe that Catalonia’s independence referendum will not have any legal power.
At the same time, the majority of respondents (82%) said that the only way to resolve the conflict would be to hold a referendum that would be pre-arranged with Madrid authorities. – Sputnik