SPANISH Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has rejected a November ultimatum set by the Catalan president to open talks on self-determination or face losing the pro-independence MPs’ support that helped him oust his predecessor.
In a speech to the Catalan Parliament on Tuesday, Quim Torra urged Sanchez to follow the examples of the UK and Canada in allowing a referendum.
However, in a letter yesterday, Torra made no mention of a deadline, but invited the head of the Spanish executive to talk about everything, including the Socialist leader’s planned project for Catalonia and the “right of self-determination”.
He wrote: “The Catalan people deserve a brave answer, different to those given until now.”
Spanish government sources said this was not the time for a meeting and Miquel Iceta, leader of the Socialist Party in Catalonia, told Torra: “When your words do not match reality it can cause frustration, and frustration can spur intolerance and violence.”
Pro-independence parties Together for Catalonia (JxCat) and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) yesterday tried to defuse the potential flashpoint by agreeing that the government will continue to negotiate with the state, but with no deadline.
Their proposal, which will be put to Catalan chamber today, urges talks on “an agreed, binding and internationally recognised referendum that respects the right to decide on Catalan citizenship”.
It also emerged yesterday that Torra had not informed allies in Madrid before announcing the ultimatum to Sanchez.
ERC member in Spain’s Congress, Gabriel Rufian, said: “Only ERC in Madrid can speak on behalf of ERC in Madrid.”
And the party’s leader in the Catalan parliament, Sergi Sebria, said they would settle for nothing less than Catalonia’s self-determination, warning “whoever is aiming for shortcuts is either lying or being naïve”.
Elsewhere, a sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg saw more than 40 MEPs wear yellow t-shirts in protest at the continued incarceration of Catalonia’s pro-indy leaders.
The MEPs, from 15 member states and four parliamentary groups, wore the yellow shirts – which have come to symbolise solidarity with the political prisoners – as they demanded their release from jail.
Messages printed on them read “Free Junqueras”, “Free Romeva”, or “Free Political Prisoners”.
Their protest came as Spain’s Supreme Court again refused to release the prisoners, some of whom have been incarcerated for a year in “preventative detention”.
The court said there was a risk of escape and repeat offending and said the suffering of their families was no reason to free them on bail.
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