Catalan president to 'negotiate in Brussels' if Madrid denies self-determination

The Catalan president, Quim Torra, has insisted that the Spanish government has to accept talking about self-determination to continue with the talks that began in February and were halted due to Covid-19.

In an interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN) published on Tuesday, the Catalan chief said that he intends to take the negotiation over the independence crisis to Europe.

"Enough with this farce. People want the truth. Are you [Spain] willing to negotiate Catalonia’s right to self-determination? Yes or no? If not, let us know so we can negotiate in Brussels and stop wasting our time," said Torra.

He called on Spain to set an agenda for a meeting "clearly" stating the conditions for a referendum of self-determination and amnesty for those convicted or charged after the 2017 independence push.

"If we do not see it written on a paper, we will not attend the negotiation table, and we will seek talks in Europe, like [we are doing] with justice," he added, asking the Spanish cabinet to clarify if they are ready to talk about a referendum – Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly denied any interest in a deal over an independence vote over the past few months.