Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, ousted by the
Spanish government following a declaration of independence, stressed
that if a majority of people vote in favor of independence in the
December 21 election their decision should be respected. In an exclusive
interview with Catalan News, Puigdemont said that “if a clear majority
of votes and seats from a community says ‘I want to be an independent
state,’ this is a decision that must be respected.”
Speaking from Brussels, where he and four deposed
ministers traveled, claiming they did not trust the Spanish justice to
offer them a fair trial, Puigdemont urged Madrid and the European Union
to clarify whether they will respect the results of the vote or not.
After dismissing the Catalan government and dissolving the
Parliament, Spanish president Mariano Rajoy called new elections in
Catalonia on December 21. Puigdemont announced on Friday that he is ready to head a joint civil candidacy,
encompassing independence supporters that would seek “to protect the
greater good in these elections.” These values, according to Puigdemont,
are “democracy” and “the fight against Article 155”, referring to the
Spanish Constitution tool that Rajoy triggered to take over Catalonia’s
self-rule.
- “If a clear majority of votes
and seats from a community says ‘I want to be an independent state,’
this is a decision that must be respected”
Carles Puigdemont · Deposed Catalan president
“Results must be accepted with all the
consequences,” Puigdemont said, and added that a democracy can’t be
“kidnapped” depending on whether political leaders like what citizens
decide or not. “It’s not for Rajoy to command what happens in our
country, nor for the Constitutional Court,” but for “the citizens of
Catalonia,” Puigdemont said.
The first priority of the next Catalan government
will be to stop Article 155 and “get the institutions back,” said the
deposed president. According to him, this is a duty that not only falls
upon independence supporters, but on “all democrats,” too.
Extradition and prison
A Belgian judge is to decide next Friday whether to
accept an extradition petition from the Spanish judiciary for Puigdemont
and his ministers, who face charges related to the declaration of
independence.
Eight deposed ministers who stayed in
Catalonia remain in jail, as well as civil society leaders Jordi Sánchez
and Jordi Cuixart. Catalan Parliament president Carme Forcadell was released on Friday after spending a night in prison and paying a bail of €150,000.
A "caricature" of Europe
Puigdemont accused the EU of being “a caricature” of
Europe. “In the hands of these people, who have even corrupted the
fundamental values of the EU, it’s obvious that there is no will to help
solve this conflict through politics,” he said.
“I’m a pessimist. Therefore, I’m forced to fight for
Europe, because I don’t want this project of peace, democracy,
prosperity, fraternity, and of mixed cultures and languages to be put at
risk,” Puigdemont said.
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