By Joe Gerrard • Published: 12 Dec 2018 • 17:00
THE leaders of Spain’s two largest opposition parties have called on the Prime Minister to impose direct rule on Cataluña and hold national election during parliamentary debates today (Wednesday). Pablo Casado, of the conservative Partido Popular (PP), and the centrist Ciudadanos’ Albert Rivera both said Pedro Sanchez should trigger Article 155 in response to the ongoing Catalan independence push. Article 155 was the constitutional mechanism used to suspend Cataluña’s regional government after last year’s failed independence push. Their comments come as Catalan Generalitat President Quim Torra said the region should aim to achieve independence through the ‘Slovenian Way’. His comments drew criticism with some claiming they were a subtle call for violent insurrection. Pablo Casado told members of Spain’s Congress of Deputies that Sanchez’s left-leaning Partido Socialista (PSOE) government was increasingly responsible and complicit in internal Catalan politics. “He admits he can do nothing because his remaining in office depends on votes from pro-independence politicians,” Casado said. “Sanchez must act now on Cataluña and impose Article 155. He must also keep his word and be aware that his time is over. He must call general elections before it is too late for Spain,” the PP leader added.
El Gobierno es responsable y cada vez más cómplice con lo que pasa en Cataluña. Con su inacción reconoce que no puede hacer nada porque depende de los votos de los independentistas para seguir en la Moncloa. pic.twitter.com/34TlwGfA1p — Pablo Casado Blanco (@pablocasado_) 12 December 2018
El Gobierno es responsable y cada vez más cómplice con lo que pasa en Cataluña. Con su inacción reconoce que no puede hacer nada porque depende de los votos de los independentistas para seguir en la Moncloa. pic.twitter.com/34TlwGfA1p
— Pablo Casado Blanco (@pablocasado_) 12 December 2018
Ciudadanos leader Rivera, whose party was founded in opposition to growing calls for Catalan independence, said Article 155 was necessary to protect security, democracy and freedom. “I want to live in a country where citizens are guaranteed their freedom and security, where no ruler encourages violence and frightens democrats. That is the Spain in which I believe, where separatism cannot run amok,” Rivera said.
🏛 Quiero vivir en un país donde los ciudadanos tengan garantizada su libertad y su seguridad, donde ningún gobernante aliente a los violentos y atemorice a los demócratas. Esa es la España en la que creo, donde el separatismo no pueda campar a sus anchas. pic.twitter.com/zI6n6X3AT4 — Albert Rivera (@Albert_Rivera) 12 December 2018
🏛 Quiero vivir en un país donde los ciudadanos tengan garantizada su libertad y su seguridad, donde ningún gobernante aliente a los violentos y atemorice a los demócratas. Esa es la España en la que creo, donde el separatismo no pueda campar a sus anchas. pic.twitter.com/zI6n6X3AT4
— Albert Rivera (@Albert_Rivera) 12 December 2018
Sanchez said in response to Casado and Rivera that the only solution to the Catalan independence issue was through “co-existence”. “No democratic political project deserves to endanger anything or anyone. In every society there are crises, but the only possible way to solve them is the constitutional way via the Statue of Cataluña,” Sanchez said.
Ningún proyecto político democrático merece poner en peligro nada ni a nadie. En toda sociedad existen crisis, pero la única vía posible para resolverlas es la vía constitucional, la vía del Estatuto de Cataluña, la vía de la convivencia. Allí nos encontrarán. #SánchezCongreso pic.twitter.com/gNLXVUlM8F — Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) 12 December 2018
Ningún proyecto político democrático merece poner en peligro nada ni a nadie. En toda sociedad existen crisis, pero la única vía posible para resolverlas es la vía constitucional, la vía del Estatuto de Cataluña, la vía de la convivencia. Allí nos encontrarán. #SánchezCongreso pic.twitter.com/gNLXVUlM8F
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) 12 December 2018
Sanchez did not comment on the call for a general election but has repeatedly refused to hold them before the end of the current parliamentary term in 2020. The comments come as Sanchez faces increasing pressure to act on Cataluña. The Prime Minister attempted to move away from the hard-line stance on independence taken by the previous PP government under Mariano Rajoy that culminated in Cataluña’s regional autonomy being suspended. Sanchez attempted to open dialogue and reach a compromise with Torra but the latter has repeatedly stated his goal is to make Cataluña independent.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.