Scandinavian countries to vote on 'promoting dialogue' in Catalonia

The Scandinavian countries will vote on whether to officially ask for a “negotiated solution” in Catalonia. The Nordic Council – which includes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – have debated on the Catalan crisis, according to a statement by the Finnish MP Mikko Kärnä. A resolution asking the ministers of this council to “promote dialogue” was on the table, and will be voted on in June.

According to Kärnä, the text, presented by himself, has been “intensely” debated, and while several politicians have “strong sympathies” with Catalonia, “many people are afraid to say their opinions out loud in public.” The resolution does not make any reference on the political status of Catalonia, but it does say that “freedom of speech, rule of law, human rights and democracy should be promoted in the solution to the crisis,” says the Finnish MP.

Kärnä was the representative who invited Carles Puigdemont for a visit this past March. While in Finland, the Spanish Supreme Court reissued a European arrest warrant for the deposed Catalan president, who decided to go back to his residence in Belgium by car, but was arrested by the German police on his way to Brussels.