Italian MP, Marco Miccoli calls for finding “a political solution which meets Catalans’ demands”

Rome (CNA).- The political deadlock between Catalonia and the Spanish State should be overcome “through politics” rather “than restoring to the court”, Italian Democratic Party MP, Marco Miccoli believes. In an interview with the CNA, Miccoli emphasised the need to find an “agreement”, a “political solution which meets the demands of the Spanish State but especially those of Catalans”. “The judicial way may be a technical solution” he added “but it doesn’t solve the problem from a political or historic point of view – it only puts if off”, he said. Regarding the EU’s role in the political relationship between Catalonia and Spain, Miccoli pointed out that the body has “the fundamental duty to settle these kind of situations”. In this sense, he lamented that “the EU sometimes makes the wrong moves” and called for an “appropriate approach” aimed at “solving problems rather than throwing a spanner in the works”.

“Our party calls for the victory of politics”, explained Miccoli and added that he considered it the only option for “solving the problem between Catalonia and Spain” and responding to Catalonia’s “vote aspirations”. He made these statements in Rome, during the presentation of the exhibition ‘Catalogna Bombardata’ which remembers the bombings over Catalonia carried out by the Italian fascist air force during the Spanish Civil War.

The Democratic Party MP also commented on the prosecution of several elected representatives in Catalonia for putting out the ballot boxes for the non-binding consultation in 2014 or allowing a debate on independence in the Parliament. “The judicial way may be a technical solution but it doesn’t solve the problem from a political or historic point of view – it only puts if off”, he said.

Regarding the referendum which the Government has committed to call in September, Miccoli admitted that “it is a question which could affect the rest of the Member States” and that “the Italian Government will assess the situation and decide which attitude to adopt towards the Catalan question at the appropriate moment”. “I as a single MP can’t establish the Government’s position”, he nuanced. However, he insisted on the need to “reach an agreement” to overcome the current deadlock between Catalonia and Spain.

The EU should “solve problems rather than throwing a spanner in the works

“The EU has the fundamental right to settle these kind of situations” but sometimes “makes the wrong moves”. Thus, Miccoli said that “EU intervention” in a “complicated situation such as that between Catalonia and Spain” should be aimed at “finding a political solution which will not only satisfy Catalans’ demands” but also the idea of an EU “which solves problems rather than throwing a spanner in the work”, he concluded.