Romeva says Spain's 'threatening tone' against Belgium is what Catalans 'face daily'

The Catalan Foreign Affairs Minister Raül Romeva condemned on Friday the "threatening tone" used by the Spanish government against Belgium following Prime Minister Charles Michel's comments about Catalonia in an interview with 'Le Soir'. Michel rejected police violence against voters taking part in the Catalan referendum on October 1 and said "political crises must be resolved through political dialogue." That sparked a "furious" response by Spanish diplomats, as reported by Belgian media. In a letter, Spain warned Belgium that Michel's comments "seriously endanger bilateral relations."

"The threatening tone of the letter that the Spanish government sent to the Belgian Embassy in Madrid shows the discomfort that interest in the Catalan case causes," said minister Romeva in comments to Catalan News. "Prime Minister Charles Michel only condemned police violence on October 1 and urged a dialogue-based solution to the conflict. This is a position that any European democrat can share, the reaction is exaggerated and disproportionate," he added. According to Romeva, this kind of reaction is what Catalans "face daily". "We ask for dialogue and, sadly, we only get threats as an answer," he said.

The Catalan minister also insisted that the situation in the country "is not comparable to other political situations or historical contexts" in Europe or around the world. Romeva explained that Catalonia has seen "seven years of mass public demonstrations on the streets" in favor of independence, it has a "parliamentary majority" in favor of a separate state, and a government that was elected on the platform of holding a referendum in which "2.3 million people took part despite the violence and unjustified repression" of the Spanish police. "The Catalan case is unique and it is one committed to peace, democracy and a negotiated solution to political conflicts," he said.