catalan independence

The Commission for Economic Affairs adopts the draft law that could set the basis for a Catalan fiscal system separate from Spain's

The Manchester City coach asks democrats worldwide to help defend civil rights in Catalonia in front of 30,000 in a rally in Barcelona

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

Puigdemont announced the date and question of the vote flanked by Vice President Oriol Junqueras and the rest of his government

Three organizations of journalists, lawyers and economists from Catalonia publish a statement in favor of an independence referendum

The First Secretary of the Catalan socialists, Miquel Iceta, met with Frans Timmermans in Brussels to discuss Catalan issues

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 PNR is to become a “forum for debate” since it represents the broad spectrum of pro-referendum supporters

Daniel Kahl, a German Barça fan, was not allowed to enter the stadium at the Copa del Rey final for carrying the ‘Estelada’

The spokesperson for the Spanish government responds to Puigdemont’s request for clarification on “what kind of force” the state “plans to use against the referendum”

A possible supplier for the referendum says it is "nonsense" to prosecute the Government for trying to buy ballot boxes

Catalonia’s Government has written a letter to the Commission to inform them about Spain's refusal to negotiate a vote on independence

The Spanish MEP Esteban González Pons asked the Estonian government to stand firm against Catalan independence

The two main Spanish parties are frontally opposed to the celebration of an independence referendum in Catalonia and their leaders will fight together against the Catalan government plans’ to hold one. In a phone conversation on Monday, the Spanish President and leader of the People’s Party (PP), Mariano Rajoy, and the re-elected leader of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), Pedro Sánchez, discussed their united front against a self-determination vote in Catalonia. “The PSOE will defend the legality and the Constitution,” confirmed the Spanish Vice President, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, in a press conference in Madrid, where she briefed journalists about the two leaders’ conversation. According to her, the Socialists are “against the illegal referendum being planned by the Catalan Government” and will block “any attempt” to “violate” the Spanish Constitution. Sáenz de Santamaría also insisted that a self-determination referendum is “unnegotiable” but again urged the Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, to present his plans in the Spanish Congress.

The Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, called all political parties in favor of an independence referendum to a meeting on Monday “to analyze Mariano Rajoy’s negative answer” to Catalonia’s request for a negotiated vote, sources from the government said. “We are not planning to decide the date and question for the referendum,” the same sources confirmed, after members of the radical left CUP urged the Government to confirm when the referendum will take place. However, the same sources admitted that they might discuss it if “one of the participants” of the meeting “puts the issue on the table”. Governing party Junts pel Sí and radical-left CUP will take part in the summit, as well as Podem Catalunya, the Catalan branch of Podemos. However, Catalunya en Comú, the party of Barcelona’s Mayor Ada Colau, has so far rejected the invitation, arguing that any debates on the referendum should be held in the cross-party National Pact for the Referendum forum, and not in a government-led meeting.