Vice president says Spanish constitution must not 'limit' Catalan aspirations

The Spanish constitution cannot "limit" the aspirations of Catalan society, and steps should be taken to pass legislation for a self-determination referendum if the talks between the Catalan and Spanish governments end in an agreement to hold a vote.

That is according to Catalan vice president and national coordinator of the pro-independence ERC party, Pere Aragonès, who pointed out that the talks that began this week produced a commitment to act within the law and to "safeguard" any agreements reached.

Talking on Catalan television on Friday morning, Aragonès also argued that the talks should not substitute public demonstrations, although he did ask that they be "peaceful" and "inclusive" to strengthen the demands of the Catalan delegation in the negotiations. 

Meanwhile, he also suggested that the upcoming Catalan election should serve to "strengthen the independence movement" and show the Spanish authorities that "there are increasingly more of us and that our proposal is the one with the most support."

About the talks, Aragonès said that the delegations share a "diagnosis" of the situation, but he stressed: "We will not give up on the independence of Catalonia, the right to self-determination, and we'll propose an amnesty [for the jailed independence leaders]."