Last call

Puigdemont argued that political dialogue is possible and both offered and called for the necessary will to sit down at the negotiating table

Esther Vera
1 min
Carles Puigdemont, en la conferència d'aquest dilluns a Madrid

The President of the Catalan Government’s appearance in Madrid last Monday could be characterised as both a call for "sincere dialogue" and a “we’re not going to hang around” warning. Carles Puigdemont travelled to the Spanish capital for his final "Listen up, Spain" accompanied by Vice President Junqueras and Foreign Minister Raül Romeva. He argued that political dialogue is possible and both offered and called for the necessary will to sit down at the negotiating table. Puigdemont told Rajoy that the best option for both sides is a negotiated referendum and warned that the latter would struggle to wield sufficient power to prevent a referendum once it is called.

On one hand, a sincere and open appeal for dialogue. On the other, the determination to hold the referendum and accept the legal consequences for an entire political generation. The door to dialogue will remain open until the last minute, but the countdown has already begun. Referendum, one way or another. Prior to the Madrid event, Rajoy had referred to the publication of a supposed draft the legal transitoriness law as "nonsense" and “legal insanity". The two governments are in an all-out war for control of the narrative that will arise from the confrontation of legitimacies following the announcement of the referendum. In Catalonia, there is a more than solid majority that wants to vote on their future and which is not afraid of threats. But it will be necessary to ensure that, in the name of democracy and exceptionality, we do not allow it to be violated. Otherwise this would become the PP government’s version of events.

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