Spanish Government sees referendum as 'democratic abnormality' and vows to fight it 'firmly'

Barcelona (CNA).- Holding a referendum on independence in Catalonia is a “democratic abnormality”, according to Spanish Vice President Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría. “There is no doubt that Germany, Italy and Spain are being absolutely democratic when they don’t allow a referendum on self-determination”, she assured this Monday, in an interview with Spanish Public Television (TVE). In the event that the Catalan Government calls a referendum, as Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, has repeatedly committed himself to doing, Sáenz de Santamaría warned that the Spanish executive will fight it “with dialogue and proportionality” but “firmly”. The Spanish Vice President also commented on Puigdemont’s refusal to attend the Summit of Autonomic Presidents, which will take place on Tuesday. She assured that the Spanish Government will safeguard the Catalans’ interests despite their presidents’ absence. 

“The institutions in this country work”, said Soraya Saénz de Santamaría and warned that the Spanish Government has “many mechanisms” to prevent the referendum on independence from happening. “We will do it through dialogue and proportionality but always firmly and with the strength that this kind of subject requires”, she added.  

Puigdemont bids for a “bilateral relationship” with the Spanish Government

Sáenz de Santamaría also referred to the Conference of Autonomic Presidents, which will take place on Tuesday and which both the Catalan and the Basque Presidents, Carles Puigdemont and Íñigo Urkullu, have refused to attend. In October, Puigdemont announced his decision and considered Catalonia to have won “the right to a bilateral relationship” with the Spanish Government “as the demands of the Catalan people have nothing to do with the requests of other Autonomous Communities”.

The Spanish Vice President stressed this Monday that the Catalans’ interests will be safeguarded by the Spanish executive, despite Puigdemont’s absence. She explained that the summit will tackle key subjects, such as funding, education and social measures. “I want to send a message of calm to both the Catalan and the Basque citizens, since they will be represented at the Conference despite their presidents’ absence”, she said in an interview with TVE and insisted that the executive’s main goal is “to defend and respect the equality amongst all Spaniards”. “The Spanish Government won’t let the Catalan citizens down and will discuss those subjects which really matter to them”, she added.