On Friday 27 October, President of the European Council Donald Tusk reiterated his support for Spain, whilst calling for dialogue, following the vote of the Catalonian parliament in favour of the independence of the region. The European institutions remained silent in the hours immediately following the vote of the Catalonian regional parliament.
Tusk was the first of the representatives of the European institutions to break this silence following the decision of the Catalonian parliament to launch the independence progress. “For the EU, nothing changes”, the Council president said, adding that “Spain remains our only interlocutor”. These declarations are in line with those made at the European Council, when he definitively rejected the idea of any European mediation (see EUROPE 11887). “I hope the Spanish government favours the force of argument, not argument of force”, he warned.
Shortly after Tusk's reaction, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker spoke from Guiana alongside France's President Emmanuel Macron. He started by saying that he did not want a European Union consisting of 95 states, echoing his address in Luxembourg on 13 October, when he took position against a European Union of 98 states in 15 years' time (see EUROPE 11883). We must avoid cracks, because there are enough cracks and fractures. We do not need any more cracks or fractures, he added.
Over at the European Parliament, several political figures reacted. Antonio Tajani, the president of the EP, was categorical on Twitter. “The declaration of independence voted on today in the Catalan parliament is a breach of the rule of law, the Spanish constitution and the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, which are part of the EU's legal framework. No one in the European Union will recognise this declaration”, he tweeted. The chair of the S&D Group, Gianni Pittella of Italy, made a much more evasive comment: “to divide is not the solution, either to Spain, Catalan or Europe (…). We hope that the rule of law and Constitution will be respected” – seemingly condemning the Catalonian decision in a roundabout way. The co-chair of the Greens/EFA, Ska Keller of Germany, made an even more sombre declaration: “yesterday, there was a real chance for solution and dialogue. Today there is only disaster”, she said, concluding: “sad day for Europe”.
Among the European associations and organisations, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) immediately called on all parties to act within a peaceful environment, leaving room for constructive exchanges.
Earlier that day, Commission spokesperson Mina Andreeva said that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union did not apply to the Catalonian case, due to Article 51. Indeed, this article stipulates that the provisions of the Charter concern only the institutions, bodies and agencies of the European Union, and the member states only when they implement EU law. The article states that the Charter does not extend the scope of application of EU law beyond its competences and it therefore does not apply to the situation in Catalan, Andreeva told us once more afterwards: the issue is still above all a domestic Spanish affair.
Once again, Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel was the first of the heads of state or government to react. “A political crisis can only be solved through dialogue”, he tweeted. “We call for a peaceful solution with respect to national and international order”, he added. “The Federal government does not recognise the unilateral declaration of independence of the regional parliament”, German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert announced.
In the late afternoon on Friday 27 October, the Catalan parliament voted by secret ballot (70 votes to ten and two blank papers) in favour of independence and the creation of an independent state in the form of a sovereign, democratic and social republic subject to the rule of law. This vote follows the decision of the Spanish Senate to activate Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, temporarily to suspend Catalonia's autonomy. This article is to enter into force in the course of the evening.
The Spanish Council of Ministers was to hold an extraordinary meeting at 18:00. On the social networks, several senior Spanish political figures announced their positions. Pedro Sanchez, the secretary general of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (centre-left), has come out in favour of defending the Spanish constitution and of reforming Catalonia's autonomous status. Pablo Iglesias, the secretary general of Podemos (radical left), states that he is against repression, but takes the view that the declaration of independence was illegitimate. Albert Rivera, Chair of Citizens – Party of the Citizenry (centre), supported the use of Article 155. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens and Lucas Tripoteau)