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The Swiss executive will only mediate between Catalonia and Spain “if all the parts explicity request it”. This was the answer of the Swiss government to the question posed by Swiss MPs from several parties whom asked what would be Switzerland’s role regarding Catalonia’s push for independence. “Considering Switzerland’s neutrality and democratic tradition would the Federal Council propose our country’s good manners to ensure mediation between Madrid and Barcelona?” Swiss MPs asked their executive on the 22^nd of September. The answer of the Swiss government reflected that “Catalonia’s pro-independence aspirations affect Spain’s internal politics”and therefore “the possibility of a Swiss intervention isn’t planned”. The Catalan Foreign Affairs Secretary, Roger Albinyana, celebrated the Swiss proposition as “it is the first international actor”to highlight the “lack of dialogue”of the Spanish government. 

The Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell, announced this Friday that her candidate for President of the Catalan Government will be Artur Mas. After holding meetings with all the parliamentarian groups, Forcadell confirmed that current President and the number four of pro-independence cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ is the candidate whom has majoritarian support. Mas has been the one and only candidate proposed by ‘Junts Pel Sí’. However, the other pro-independence force in the Parliament, CUP, have repeatedly insisted that they won’t instate Mas as President. In her appearance before the media, Forcadell also announced the Parliament’s schedule for next Monday, with the vote on the pro-independence declaration taking place in the morning and the instatement debate scheduled for the evening.

The exhibition looks at the relationship between the Catalan painter, symbol of the surrealism movement, and the press. The show aims to highlight that Dalínot only published several articles in newspapers but went much further: he designed advertisements and illustrated some of his own and other colleagues’texts. ‘Dalíand Media’includes 250 pieces, most of them newspapers, magazines and printed advertisements but there are also 30 objects from Dalí’s workshop, 12 paintings and 2 original drawings. This is not the first exhibition based on the surrealist artist to be held in Shanghai. In February 2011, the Gala-Salvador Dalífoundation also organised in China’s financial capital the retrospective ‘Dalí: a genius of the XX century’. ‘Dalíand Media’has already been to other cities such as Moscow, and will be displayed in Shanghai’s Chi K11 Art Space until the 15^th of February.

The Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) will in the end allow the plenary session to put the pro-independence declaration to vote. The TC hasn’t adopted the precautionary measures that the PPC and Ciutadans asked for in order to stop the debate on the ‘Junts Pel Sí’ and CUP agreed proposal and will allow the plenary session to vote on the roadmap towards independence proposed by ‘Junts Pel Sí’ and CUP. They pointed out that precautionary measures are only adopted in “cases of extreme urgency” and that they understand that this is not the case. However, the TC accepted the three writs of protection presented by the Catalan People’s Party, PPC, the Catalan Socialist Party, PSC, and anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans. The magistrates expressed this Thursday in a joint letter that the appeals have been accepted because they “transcend the concrete case” and “raise judicial matters of a relevant social repercussion, with political consequences”. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy assured that if the pro-independence proposal is ultimately approved, the executive itself will appeal. 

Neymar (2) and Luis Suárez provide the goals for a win over the Belarusians that mean the blaugranes now just need a point to top and group and make it to knock out stages. On the quarter of an hour mark Ivan Rakitic limped off with a calf injury and Munir was the man chosen to replace the Croatian. The substitute played a key role in the goal that put the blaugranes ahead on the half hour mark, forcing a penalty that Neymar turned into the first goal. Suárez broke the offside trap down the right hand side and his unselfish pass took out keeper Chernik and allowed his Brazilian team mate to slide the ball into an empty net for his second and Barça’s third of the evening. That was job done for the home side and although Suárez and Neymar himself seemed determined to add to their personal tallies, it ended 3-0 to the blaugranes.

Catalonia’s People’s Party (PPC), Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) and anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans asked the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) to stop the processing of ‘Junts Pel Sí’ and CUP’s agreed declaration to start the independence process. Xavier García Albiol, from PPC, Inés Arrimadas, leader of Ciutadans in Catalonia and Miquel Iceta from PSC all appeared this Wednesday at the TC’s registration office but each presented their own writ of protection. They are calling for the TC to cancel the Parliament Bureau’s decision to pass the processing of the pro-independence declaration and put it to vote next Monday. The three petitions point to a possible violation of the citizens’ right of participation and that of the parliamentary representatives, as the Spokesperson Bureau was convened before PPC constituted themselves as a parliamentary group. The TC may now hold an extraordinary plenary session to respond to these petitions before Monday, when the Parliament is scheduled to put the pro-independence declaration to vote. 

Catalonia promoted itself as a leading tourist destination at London World Travel Market, one of the most important global events for the travel industry. This year, Catalonia’s strategy focused on its selection as European Region of Gastronomy 2016, so that routes based on local food and wine have been designed to add value to Catalonia’s traditional attractions. “We must appreciate the gastronomic richness of our country” stated Delegate of the Catalan Government to the UK, Josep Manuel Suárez, who highlighted the Mediterranean diet as “fundamental”. Throughout the week, Catalonia’s stand will offer to the 50,000 visitors expected to attend the fair an image of the territory that goes beyond sun and beaches, promoting the Pyrenees region and cities with a relevant Roman heritage such as Tarragona. The aim is to diversify Catalonia’s tourism and to become a city break destination as well. 

Barça face BATE Borisov this Wednesday at Camp Nou at 8.45pm CET in the knowledge that a win against the side from Belarus could put them through to the knock out stages for the 12th season in a row should AS Roma fail to beat Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the other Group E fixture. The Belarusians are currently in third place in the group on 3 points, one behind second placed Bayer and so still have hope of making it to the last 16 themselves. Luis Enrique is focused on just one objective for side at Camp Nou: "The goal is to qualify, and do it as first in the group. The groups are competitive, and anything can happen. But as the defending champions we must send a message that we are ready.” Javier Mascherano will be available even though he is currently one match into a two game domestic ban in La Liga, and Andrés Iniesta, recently recovered from injury, should be in the squad as well. 

The Parliament's Bureau rejected on Tuesday the appeals made by Catalan Socialist Party PSC and Anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans, which urged reconsideration of the approval of the agreed pro-independence proposal. The Parliament's President, Carme Forcadell, announced that the agreed declaration on starting the independence process will be voted on next week. Forcadell also responded to those who criticised her decision to convene the Spokesperson Bureau before the Catalonia People's Party (PPC) had constituted themselves as a parliamentary group. She emphasised that Parliament hasn't done anything illegal and convened the Spokesperson Bureau for next Friday. The aim is to putt to vote the proposal presented by pro-independence forces 'Junts Pel Sí' and CUP and approve it before the new Catalan President is instated. 

The number of unemployed in Catalonia rose by 10,341 people in October and has now accumulated three months of increases. This figure represents a 2.02% increase compared to the previous month and the total is now 523,528 unemployed people in Catalonia, of whom only 54.2% were receiving some kind of benefit at the end of last month, according to the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. All the sectors, except for construction, have experienced a rise in the number of unemployed. The sector which saw the largest increase in the number of unemployed was services, with an increase of 8,891 people, the highest increase in this sector since October 2014. This trend is mainly due to the termination of many seasonal contracts. In the whole of Spain, unemployment increased by 82,327 people and totalled 4,176,369. Unemployment usually rises in October, as it represents the end of many seasonal contracts. This year's increase in the unemployment rate is the lightest registered since 2010. 

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has started his round of meetings with Spanish socialist party PSOE, Anti-Catalan nationalism ‘Ciutadans’, alternative left ‘Podemos’ and Spanish left IU, the main political forces running in the 20-D Spanish elections. The aim of these meetings was to set a common programme to deal with Catalonia’s push for independence, which is outstanding as the centre of the electoral campaign. “I take responsibility for leading the answer to this defiance”stated Rajoy and added that the Spanish State “has by far enough mechanisms to successfully face this situation”. Rajoy assured that during these meetings with the other political parties he asked his interlocutors to “trust”these mechanisms and avoid “unproductive debates”on such matters, referring to the possible application of article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, suggested by Ciutadans’leader Albert Rivera, which would imply the suspension of Catalonia’s autonomy. 

The Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell, has convened the Spokesperson Bureau for this Tuesday, even though Catalonia’s People’s Party (PPC) haven’t yet constituted themselves as a parliamentary group. The aim is to respond to the appeals made by Catalan Socialist Party PSC and Anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans, which have urged reconsideration of the approval of the pro-independence forces agreed declaration on starting the independence process. The decision to convene the Spokesperson Bureau, and reactivate the debate on the proposal, arrived after PPC’s handed over of a writ of protection before the Spanish Constitutional Court. According to PPC’s leader, Xavier García Albiol, they took such an action to “avoid the celebration of the plenary session”to debate the pro-independence proposal as “it is absolutely outside of the basic rules of democracy”.

Many MEPs and different entities urged the European Parliament to withdraw the European Citizen 2014 award from 'Societat Civil Catalana', a Spanish unity association which has been repeatedly linked with extreme right organisations. Recent investigations also connected SCC's president, Josep Ramon Bosch, with Francoist Fascism and Nazism and Bosch himself has been called to Court accused of threatening pro-independence Catalan figures via a fake Facebook profile. The associations, organisations and public figures signing the 'Manifesto: Catalan civil society, for dignity' accuse SCC of "appropriating themselves of the common term ['Societat Civil Catalana'] which refers to the host of civic, cultural and social entities in Catalonia characterised not only by their diversity but also by their defence of democratic principles, Catalan culture and society as a whole".

The European Parliament's President, Martin Schulz "shares" the Catalan MEPs’ concerns "about the accuracy of the answers to written questions". Schulz was referring to the two different versions, one in Spanish and one in English, of the answer sent by the Commission to PP MEP Santiago Fisas on Catalonia's unilateral declaration of independence. "I can assure you that I take this issue very seriously" he stated in a letter sent to the Catalan MEPs on Friday. Schulz assured that he is "fully aware of the sensitivity of this particular issue, especially in the period before the regional elections in Catalonia on 27 September". The Euro Parliament President also assured that the "Parliament's services asked the Commission's competent services to clarify the situation as a matter of urgency" and added that he welcomes the decision to investigate the scandal. "I look forward to being informed of its conclusions" he concluded. 

The winning pro-independence cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí''s formula won't be repeated in the 20^th of December Spanish elections. Liberal CDC and left-wing ERC, the two main political forces responsible for 'Junts Pel Sí', consider the referendum already celebrated in the 27-S elections and bid to enhance the pro-independence base by running in the Spanish elections separately. ERC's general secretary, Marta Rovira, and CDC general coordinator, Josep Rull, aim to fill the space left by radical left CUP, their main partner in the Catalan government, who won't run in the Spanish elections. Rovira and Rull promised to work together in order to make the 27-S democratic mandate effective. To prove this, they announced the writing of a common manifesto which will support the Catalan government's roadmap towards independence.