carles puigdemont

Ahmed Galai makes a declaration in favor of “democracy and the October 1” vote

Logistics, legal framework, Spain’s actions to stop the vote, and the eventual turnout are some of the mysteries to be solved

13 dead and some 80 more injured in Barcelona terrorist attack and police arrest two suspects

Carles Puigdemont is going to the Nordic country on August 30-31, only one month before the referendum

Catalan president says international support for the referendum on independence is key, and can be won with a clear message on October 1

Jordi Baiget said that the vote, which the Government has announced will be binding, could end up being a remake of the unofficial plebiscite on independence of 2014

Ana Pastor says Spanish chamber rules only allow a Catalan president to appear if proposing legislation and refers him to the Senate

Latest developments over the October 1 independence referendum draw further attention from top international media

The Catalan government will launch a website and hold more than 200 events throughout the country to explain the legal framework behind the vote 

Puigdemont writes the President of the Spanish Parliament asking for a date to present his independence vote plans before the chamber

The Catalan president is committed to holding a referendum with all democratic guarantees

Puigdemont offers to explain referendum plan in Congress, Madrid says 'no'

They will be accompanied by governing cross-party pro-independence ‘Junts Pel Sí’, the radical left-wing party ‘CUP’ and the ministers at the Government building in Barcelona

The Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, admitted on Thursday that he was disappointed by the Spanish President's negative answer to his invitation to begin negotiations about an independence referendum. “It is not the answer that we were hoping for, and it won’t help solve the conflict,” said Puigdemont during the inauguration of an economic conference in Sitges. Mariano Rajoy warned the Catalan President that negotiations on the referendum are “impossible” and that he will “not allow” him to “unilaterally liquidate the Spanish Constitution, Spain’s unity and national sovereignty”. Rajoy suggested to Puigdemont that he present his referendum plans before Congress. The Catalan President insisted that Catalans have already done so on “numerous occasions”, always to find their proposals turned down. The leader of the opposition in Catalonia, unionist Inés Arrimadas, said that the Catalan Government is “trapped” and cannot continue with its independence plans.

Spanish President, Mariano Rajoy, needed less than 24 hours to reject his Catalan counterpart’s petition to start discussions for the celebration of an independence referendum. “It is impossible,” Rajoy warned Carles Puigdemont, urging him to present his petition before the Spanish Congress instead. “It is not possible to seek to negotiate against the true democratic mechanisms and against the law,” added the Spanish President. Despite saying that he has a “total and sincere” willingness to “reach agreements” with Catalonia, Rajoy pointed out there are “limits” on the issues he can discuss. “Neither you nor I have the authority to negotiate what we do not have the power to negotiate,” he insisted, adding that doing so would “mean hijacking the rights of the Spanish people”. Rajoy said that the Spanish rule of law “foresees mechanisms for presenting all kinds of political aspirations” if they follow “democratic channels” and “obtain the required parliamentary support”. The Spanish President also warned Puigdemont that his plans to go ahead with a vote or even a hypothetical declaration of independence are “a serious threat to coexistence and the constitutional order”.