Catalonia demands explanations after Europol report calls independence movement 'potentially terrorist' 

Catalonia's interior minister, Joan Ignasi Elena, has sent his Spanish counterpart, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, a letter asking for an explanation over information that appeared in a Europol report which described the Basque and Catalan independence movements as "potentially terrorist." 

Elena expressed his "indignation" and demanded to know the origin of content that appeared in the report – 'The EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2023' – that said the independence movements "combine separatism with left-wing extremist views, focusing on messaging against the Spanish state and its institutions, as well as against wider themes such as capitalism." 

The letter points out that in public statements to questions from Esquerra Republicana MEP Diana Riba, the executive director of Europol confirmed that the content of the report is provided by the EU member states, without the agency investigating the information supplied. 

"Legitimate and peaceful movements"

It is "extremely serious that state institutions label legitimate and peaceful movements such as Catalan and Basque sovereignty as potentially terrorist," Elena said, adding that it was "an offense to hundreds of thousands of citizens who, in a democratic way, have been expressing for years their desire to decide the political future of their respective countries at the ballot box." 

Elena asked Marlaska if he will open some kind of internal investigation to clarify who approved the information, in the case that the minister himself was not aware of it, and concluded by warning the Spanish interior minister that "instead of repeatedly pursuing Basque and Catalan sovereignty, they should focus their efforts on the rise of the far right" in Spain.