Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Karl-Heinz Lambertz told EUROPE that the only possible way out of the situation between Spain and Catalonia is for all players to engage in “political dialogue” so that a “peaceful solution” can be reached.
In his view, the referendum on Catalan independence due to be held on Sunday will not mark an end to the crisis opposing the Spanish central government and the autonomous region of Catalonia. The situation can only be resolved, he believes, through engagement in political dialogue in order to find an outcome that respects “democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and the Spanish constitutional framework”.
A call for dialogue also came from the permanent representative of the Catalan autonomous community, Amadeu Altafaj, who said that there had to be “political dialogue” – in contrast with the legalistic position which, in his opinion, is predominant in the European institutions – with the European Commission mediating between the two parties (see EUROPE 11867). On Wednesday 27 September, the Greens/EFA Group wrote to European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, making a similar call (see EUROPE 11871).
The European Parliament is sending a cross-party delegation to monitor the referendum and meet various Catalan political and civil society players. This is alongside the national delegations from 16 member states and from Israel. On Friday 29 September, the delegations met the head of the Catalan government, Carles Puigdemont, and his foreign minister, Raül Romeva. On Saturday, they will meet civil society players and representatives of the various political parties. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)