Government warns Madrid against new suspension of Catalonia's self-rule

The Catalan government spokeswoman, Elsa Artadi, urged the Spanish government on Tuesday to "think" and avoid committing the "same mistakes" as the previous Spanish administration, led by Mariano Rajoy.

In a press conference amid mounting controversy over an alleged "breach of duty" by the Catalan police in restraining pro-independence protests, and growing calls from conservative Spanish parties to suspend Catalonia's self-government, Artadi said it would be a "mistake" to impose direct rule again.

"We urge the Spanish government to think and not commit the mistake again of using Article 155 to solve political problems," the spokeswoman said. Spanish vice president Carmen Calvo said in a speech in the Senate that there is no intention to use Article 155 of the Constitution to apply direct rule again.

The previous Spanish executive imposed direct rule on Catalonia last year following an unrecognized declaration of independence. Following that push for separation, nine leaders are in pre-trial jail and seven are in exile. Catalonia was without a government for seven months, until president Quim Torra was sworn in. But the People's Party and Cs in Spain think Torra wants to lead an "insurrection" and demand Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez re-impose direct rule.

The Spanish Socialist leader is in a delicate situation, while pressured from the right from strongly anti-independence parties hoping to make him look weak on Catalonia as the far-right grows, he has need of the votes of the Catalan, Basque and left-wing Podemos parties to sustain his government.

Elsa Artadi said the government is still committed to "dialogue" with Madrid to find "political solutions" to Catalan demands. The spokeswoman said that the Catalan executive has always advocated "peaceful, civic and democratic ways" to achieve independence, thus rejecting accusations that president Torra would favor some kind of civil or violent conflict.

The controversy came after Torra said Catalonia should follow the "Slovenian way to freedom" after a recent trip to Ljubljana. Torra said that the Slovenian people "moved forward with all the consequences, until achieving their aims" so Catalans "should do the same." Opposition parties slammed the president for his comments, saying he was promoting "violence and civil conflict" and is a "danger to democracy and coexistence."

Artadi said she had read Torra's comments "several times" and it was clear that he has always appealed to "democracy and freedom" through "civic and peaceful means." The spokeswoman added that the executive's demands for "dialogue and mediation" continue, but she regretted that Spain only offers "repression and more threats" in response.

She also rejected claims that Catalan police had been negligent for not stopping a protest by pro-independence activists on one of the country's main highways. CDR groups cut the AP-7 highway on Saturday for 15 hours, and now the Spanish prosecutor is investigating the police command to find out if they did not fulfil their obligations.

The Spanish government has warned that it will send its own police to Catalonia if the Torra administration does not "guarantee security and order", while the PP and Cs have asked for direct control of the Catalan police, whom they accuse of acting on orders from pro-independence officials.