“We have obtained the right to be an independent state”. Hunted by Europe, by the Government of Madrid, by the unionists who have regained strength in all of Spain in the last week, by the flight of companies and banks, but above all by internal strife within the independence front itself, Carles Puigdemont takes an hour more time to choose what to say, which words to use, which line to follow.
In the end, the President of the Generalitat decides to go ahead, announcing that during an official meeting to be held soon the independence of Catalonia will be proclaimed. "We are at a historic moment and as president I assume the mandate of the people to transform Catalonia into an independent and republican state," he said.
When and if it will happen, however, is not known, because in parallel the Catalan Governor has asked the Parliament of Barcelona to suspend the effects of the Declaration for a few weeks, with a view to establishing a dialogue with Madrid and starting negotiations. "I ask the assembly to vote on a motion to suspend the Declaration of Independence to give time for dialogue".
The word "independence" long awaited by the hawks of the CUP has been pronounced, but for the moment they prefer to stall, freezing the Unilateral Declaration despite the many internal discontents.
"Today the government is making a gesture of responsibility. This conflict can be resolved with an agreement. However, we will not stop, because we want to be faithful to our history, to our sons and daughters".
Late in the evening Puidgemont signs the declaration, voted for by 72 Catalan parliamentarians out of 120. The text provides for the creation of "a Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign State" but at the same time hopes for "the opening of negotiations with the Spanish State to define a collaborative system for the benefit of both parties”.
The "ball" now passes into the hands of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who is expected to speak tomorrow in front of the Congress of Deputies. In the meantime, however, according to what was written by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Rajoy's government considers the Catalan President's words "an inadmissible declaration of secession" and is preparing a response appropriate.
The government sources quoted by the press agency share the same opinion Efe, according to which: "It is impermissible to make an implicit declaration of independence and then explicitly suspend it. The government will not give in to blackmail", reiterating that the referendum was "fraudulent and illegal".
In the speech delivered before the Parlament de Catalunya, Puigdemont therefore decided to support the dialogue frond, faced with "the strong need not to fuel tension". “From my speech – continued the number one of the Generalitat – do not expect threats or blackmail. It is too critical and serious a moment and we must take our responsibilities to reduce the tension and not increase it”.
The President of the Generalitat, @KRLS Puigdemont, comença la compareixença al ple del #Parliament https://t.co/leTzPVM1fT pic.twitter.com/5pRL1X43bC
— Parlament Catalunya (@parlament_cat) 10 October 2017
Despite this, there were harsh words against the violence of October XNUMXst: “On October XNUMXst, Catalonia held its referendum in extreme conditions. It is the first time in the history of European democracy that an electoral round takes place amidst violence… we have all seen it, the world has seen it. The goal wasn't to win the polls, it was to cause panic so that people would stay home and not come to vote."
"We are not criminals, we are not madmen, we are not putschists, we are normal people who asked to be able to vote", he continued, suggesting that, if the Rajoy government had not completely closed the door in past years, "humiliating the Catalan people", the situation probably would have been different: "In all possible forms a dialogue was requested for a referendum as in Scotland in 2014. Madrid's response was a no combined with the persecution of the Spanish police, judges and authorities against Catalonia, recalling among others the detention of 17 charges Catalan public”.
A reference also to the King's words: “We hoped that King Felipe could act as mediator, given that no central institution is open to dialogue with Catalonia. But with his speech last week he demonstrated that this hypothesis is lost ”.
(Last update: 22.45).
