Catalonia and Spain dig heels in as crisis deepens
October 5, 2017
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy asked Carles Puigdemont to abandon the independence drive as a prerequisite to talks. The Catalan parliament is expected to unilaterally declare independence from Spain next week.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/L. Gene
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Spain on Wednesday turned down calls by Catalan President Carles Puigdemont for mediation to find a way out of the violent political crisis sparked off by the region's controversial referendum for independence on Sunday that ended with a rash of violence that left hundreds injured.
"If Mr. Puigdemont wants to talk or negotiate, or wants to send mediators, he knows perfectly well what he must do first: Return to the path of the law," Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's office said in a statement.
Rajoy was responding to a call for mediation by Puigdemont made earlier during a televised address.
"This moment calls for mediation. We have received various offers in the last hours and we will receive more," Puigdemont said. "But we have never received a positive response from the state."
Puigdemont criticized Spain's King Felipe VI who on Tuesday lashed out at "irresponsible behavior" of the Catalan leaders. The Catalan leader accused the king of ignoring the Catalans by calling on them to give up their bid for independence. The king's address did not mention those injured during the vote.
"The king has adopted the (national) government's position and policies which have been disastrous with regard to Catalonia," Puigdemont said. "He is deliberately ignoring millions of Catalans."
Without specifically mentioning plans for an independence declaration, Puigdemont added: "I am sure that in the next few days we will show the best of our country when the institutions of Catalonia will have to apply the results of the referendum…Today we are closer than yesterday to our historic wish."
Catalonia is expected to declare independence as early as Monday, when a special parliamentary session has been called to evaluate the results of the October 1 vote and discuss the plan for secession.
Mireia Boya, a Catalan lawmaker from the pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) said it would be "a plenary to proclaim the republic" of independent Catalonia.
According to the Catalan government, 90 percent of the people voted for independence in Sunday's referendum, which was declared illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court and was marred by police violence. But turnout was only about 43 percent as Catalans who favor remaining part of Spain mainly boycotted the ballot.
Spanish police clashed with protesters in Catalonia during the banned referendum on the region's independence. Despite Madrid's efforts to shut down voting, most of the polling stations reportedly remained open.
Image: Getty Images/D. Ramos
Police 'forced' to use violence
Security forces used batons and fired rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Many were injured. "We were forced to do what we did not wish to do," said Spanish government delegate to Catalonia, Enric Millo. "Puigdemont and his team are solely responsible" for the violence, he added.
Image: Getty Images/D. Ramos
Comparing Rajoy to Franco
Supporters of an independent Catalonia have long accused the central government of denying the will of the people. At this Barcelona rally ahead of the Sunday vote, one of the protesters holds up a picture of late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco kissing the current Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
Image: Reuters/J. Medina
Face to face
Anti-independence protesters also took to the streets of Barcelona to show their support for a united Spain. In this photo from Saturday, one of them is shouting at a member of the Catalan regional police force, called Mosso d'Esquadra.
Image: Reuters/S. Vera
Stocking up on ballot boxes
Ahead of the referendum, activists distributed voting material and paraphernalia despite the government ban. The Catalan authorities in Barcelona said that the vote would be legally binding.
Image: Reuters/A. Gea
Viva Espana
Rajoy's government has rejected the independence referendum as unconstitutional and pledged to shut down voting. Many opponents of Catalan separatism gathered in Madrid on Sunday, chanting "Viva Espana" and "Catalonia is Spain."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Soriano
Waiting for daybreak
Spanish authorities deployed thousands of extra police to the region. They received orders to prevent voting and seize ballot boxes. Security forces patrolled the polling stations in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/X. Bonilla
Keeping polls open
Activists decided to camp out at the polling stations in case police tried to shut the venues down.
Image: Reuters/J. Nazca
Separatist leader manages to vote
Reports of violence started coming in early on Sunday. Scuffles broke out near the city of Girona, where Catalan regional leader Carles Puigdemont was due to cast his ballot. The police raided the polling station, forcing Puigdemont to vote at a different location.
Image: Reuters/Handout Catalan Government
Barcelona raid
Pro-independence protesters tried to prevent the police from confiscating ballots and ballot boxes. Catalan officials say that, despite Madrid's efforts, 73 percent of about 6,000 polling stations were open on Sunday.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Barrena
Give them flowers
Pro-independence activists were instructed to "practice passive resistance" while attempting to delay the security forces from disrupting the vote. The movement supplied their protesters with red carnations to give to the officers. However, police reported they were also pelted with stones.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/L. Gene
Battling for ballots
On Sunday morning, Catalan officials said people could also use ballots they printed at home, and vote at any open polling station if their designated booth was closed.
Image: Reuters/Y. Herman
'Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state?'
While a June poll indicated that a majority of Catalans would be in favor of remaining within Spain, it also showed that independence supporters were far more likely to vote on a referendum. Madrid's crackdown is sure to fan the flames of the independence movement.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Lago
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No takers for mediation call
European leaders have so far sided with Spain and have called on both sides to talk with each other.
European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said on Wednesday there was a "general consensus that regional government of Catalonia has chosen to ignore the law when organizing the referendum."
During an emergency session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, leaders from the two biggest party groups warned Catalan leaders not to forge ahead with independence.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said that Merkel wasn't seeking to mediate the dispute between Madrid and Catalonia's regional government in Barcelona.
"Chancellor Merkel is not pursuing a mediation mission. It is an internal matter for Spain," he said.
