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Mariano Rajoy ignores Puigdemont’s call for a meeting and mentions that he is ready to implement the Constitutional provision to suspend Catalonia's self-rule

Agreement reached between Spanish president Mariano Rajoy and leader of the opposition Pedro Sánchez one day after Carles Puigdemont’s speech in parliament

Spanish prosecutor has said it will do whatever it takes, and is even considering charges of rebellion, an offence punishable by 15 to 25 years in prison

Spanish president insists talks on political conflict can only happen if Catalan president “returns to legality”

“Only speaking for myself, I would like to see Spain continue to be united,” says the US president

SNP, Greens, Labour and Liberal Democrat representatives sign a letter to the Spanish president

From Rajoy to Sánchez to Rivera, the leaders of Spain’s main political groups speak out against October 1 vote

Opposition parties force Mariano Rajoy to address Spanish Parliament a month after becoming the first serving president to testify in a criminal case

In first court appearance by a sitting Spanish president, the leader of the People's Party insists he had only “political responsibilities” and knew “absolutely” nothing about financial matters

Head of government to testify in one of largest corruption scandals in history of democracy in Spain

Rajoy insists October 1 vote will not take place while vice president warns courts can freeze referendum bill in 24 hours

Konrad Adenauer Foundation openly criticizes the People’s Party for not offering political solution to Catalan question

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 leader of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, admitted on Friday that “all democrats should be scared” at the tone that the current Spanish President, Mariano Rajoy, is using with Catalonia. After Rajoy and other members of his cabinet accused the Catalans of planning a “coup d’état” for organizing an independence referendum, Iglesias said that the Spanish conservatives “are capable of anything”. “It would be counter-productive to use force” against the Catalan Government, warned Iglesias, who accused the PP of not being “up to the task” of leading Spain and facing its “multinational reality”. In an interview with radio RAC1, Iglesias said that calling a unilateral referendum on independence in Catalonia is a “legitimate” option but insisted that only a “legal” vote with “international recognition” would allow the Catalans to really become independent.

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.