Rivera to Puigdemont: The way to independence is a “dead end”

Barcelona (CNA).- Spanish Unionist ‘Ciutadans’ leader Albert Rivera met Catalan President Carles Puigdemont this Friday and emphasised that he will “never support a pro-independence process” as he doesn’t wish “for Catalonia to remain outside of Spain and Europe”. Rivera also assessed Catalonia’s push for independence and the Government’s roadmap as a “dead end full of political tension and with few solutions for Catalans” and transmitted this to the Catalan President. Thus, he called for Puigdemont’s “government and his party” to “take part in the reform process that Spain needs”, especially regarding the negotiation of “a new funding system” for the Autonomous Communities. “Catalans can’t remain apart from this” warned Rivera. In response, Puigdemont stressed that “Catalonia would be there”. Rivera is the third Spanish leader to meet Puigdemont at Palau de la Genealitat, after Spanish Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez and alternative left ‘Podemos’ Secretary General Pablo Iglesias.

The meeting, which took place amid the Spanish investiture deadlock, developed in a “cordial way”, with both actors “more focused on the common points and the way to go forward” rather than their differences, Rivera told the press. However, the most discrepancies emerged over the national debate. Rivera emphasised that he doesn’t wish “for Catalonia to remain outside of Spain and Europe” and therefore transmitted to Puigdemont that he will “never support a pro-independence process”. “The President defended the process which has already been launched and I’ve told him that independence is a dead end full of political tension and with few solutions for Catalans”, he stated.

Rivera asked for Catalonia to take part in the constitutional reforms

“We won’t give up and won’t condemn Catalans to a deadlock by saying that as there is an independence process they won’t get better funding or infrastructure”, emphasised Rivera.

In this vein, the ‘Ciutadans’ leader also asked Puigdemont for Catalonia’s participation “in the reform of the Spanish Constitution, with a common project and clarifying the competences of each Autonomous Community and those of the State” in the search for “a model which would avoid continuous institutional conflicts”. Rivera called for Puigdemont’s “government and his party to take part in the reform process that Spain needs”, especially regarding the negotiation of “a new funding system”. “Catalans can’t remain apart from this” he warned.

In response, Puigdemont assured that Catalonia “will be there” and “will participate” in the reform of the funding system but not lead these claims. Regarding the constitutional reform, Rivera noted that Puigdemont circumscribed it to a matter of the parties.

Rivera also talked about the possibility of reforming the state infrastructure. “We want to go along with a national plan, with a different view from that held up to now” such as the long-awaited “Mediterranean Corridor”.