European Commission: The 27-S elections are “a domestic issue for Spain”

Brussels (CNA).- The EC won’t evaluate the 27-S results in Catalonia, which were described as "a domestic issue for Spain”, stated EC spokesperson Margaritis Schinas this Monday.“As a matter of principle” the EC “won’t express a position”on this question, which it regards as “internal” to a member state. Schinas confirmed that EC President Jean-Claude Juncker was informed” of the election results but assured that the EC “didn’t have any immediate contact with the government in Madrid nor the regional government in Catalonia” to evaluate the results. On the other hand, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Anne Brasseur, stated at a press conference this morning that “the vote of the people of Catalonia must be respected” and added that “there must be dialogue from both sides”.

“As a matter of principle”the EC “does not comment on regional elections”stated EC spokesperson Margaritis Schinas.  “It is not for the EC to express a position on questions of internal organisation related to the consitutional arrangements of a particular member state”he added. Schinas said the EC considers the 27-S elections “a domestic issue for Spain”. Although he confirmed that EC president Jean-Claude Juncker “was informed”of the election results, he declared that the EC “didn’t have any immediate contact”to comment on them. 

When asked by a Swiss journalist if the EU would mediate between Madrid and Barcelona, Schinas refused to comment and stated that he had “nothing else to say”.

Brasseur: “There must be dialogue from both sides”

On the other hand, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Anne Brasseur, expressed her opinion regarding 27-S elections’ results. “The vote of the people of Catalonia must be respected” she stated at a press conference this morning. “We have to see what will happen during the talks that will take place within the country” she answered when a Spanish journalist asked her to evaluate the process that is set to start in Catalonia within the next 18 months.

Although she prudently remarked that it was not for the Parliamentary Assembly “to interfere with these talks” she emphasised that “there must be talks and negotiations”. “There must be dialogue from both sides and mutual respect” she concluded.

The Spanish version of the answer was “a mistake”of the “General Secretary”

Regarding the incorrect translation of the Spanish answer to the PP MEP Santiago Fisas’question that was published last week, Brussels admitted that it was “a mistake”of the “General Secretary”. Schinas confirmed that the EC “is checking the system”and the “validation procedures”of the answers to parliamentary questions in order to “guarantee”that similar situations “won’t happen again”. Schinas admitted that both versions of the answer, the English and the Spanish one, were sent the European Parliament, although only the English version was correct.

The EC spokesperson didn’t specify if there is any official investigation being carried out to clarify the issue and reinforced EC spokeswoman Mina Andreeva’s statement, which emphasised that “nobody” can “manipulate the EC”.