Puigdemont urges Spain to have “political courage”and “negotiate”a referendum in Catalonia

Barcelona (CNA).- Negotiating a referendum with the Spanish Government is “a priority”for the Catalan executive. “Let’s listen to each other and let’s decide the best solution, without restrictions”, stated Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont and called for Spain’s executive to “have political courage” and discuss key aspects of the referendum such as “the date and the question”. At a press conference held this Monday in Madrid, Puigdemont also invited the Spanish Government to “present an alternative proposal which can compete with Catalonia’s”. In this vein, he lamented Spain’s use of the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) to stop Catalonia’s pro-independence aspirations and stated that “politics are carried out in the Parliaments rather than in the Court”. Eight EU ambassadors attended the conference, but there were no representatives from the Spanish Government nor from the governing Conservative People’s Party (PP).

Puigdemont also explained that 60% of the Catalan Chamber are for calling a referendum in Catalonia while support for reforming the Spanish Constitution represents a “minority”in the Parliament. He also emphasised that according to the latest polls, the number of pro-independence supporters is currently 5.3% higher than those who are against. “You can like it or not, but it is a proved reality and it will not change until we find a solution”, he said.

He also reminded those present of the words of Economics Nobel Prize winner, Joseph E. Stiglitz, who said on Friday that an independent Catalonia would be viable from an economic perspective. In this vein, Puigdemont stated that nobody has confirmed that independent Catalonia “wandering through outer space”, of which some Spanish Government representatives have repeatedly warned.

Nine ambassadors attended the conference

Amongst the 300 people who attended Puigdemont’sconference in Madrid there were the ambassadors from France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Greece and Egypt. Catalan Government spokeswoman, Neus Muntéand Catalan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raül Romeva, also attended the conference, together with many representatives from Puigdemont’s party, former CDC, now renamed as the ‘European Democratic Party’, left wing pro-independence ERC, alternative left alliance ‘En ComúPodem’and the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE). 

After this morning’s conference, Puigdemont’s agenda in Madrid will continue with a meeting with alternative left ‘Podemos’leader, Pablo Iglesias. During the meeting, Puigdemont is expected to explain his proposal to hold a referendum in Catalonia.