Pro-independence ERC to push for Catalan referendum in next dialogue table meeting

Catalan presidency minister Laura Vilagrà has announced that the dialogue table will meet again between March and April next year.  

In an interview with SER radio, Vilagrà emphasized the need for a well-defined proposal before convening the meeting. She stressed the importance of reaching an agreement with Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez to create "mechanisms" that would allow Catalans to vote in a referendum. 

The announcement follows an agreement reached on Thursday between Pedro Sánchez and Catalan president Pere Aragonès during a meeting in Barcelona. Among other things, the leaders agreed to set a date for a new dialogue table meeting in the first quarter of 2024. 

After the meeting, Sánchez reiterated his position that a self-determination referendum for Catalonia is incompatible with the constitution. Aragonès, on the other hand, expressed his commitment to pursue such a referendum.  

The purpose of the dialogue table is to promote dialogue between the Spanish and Catalan administrations to resolve the territorial conflict between Catalonia and Spain.  

So far, there have been three meetings of the dialogue table. The first was in February 2020, with Quim Torra as president, just before the pandemic began. The second meeting was held in May 2021, with Aragonès as president, while the last one was held in July 2022.