In the second letter addressed this week to the Prime Minister of Spain, President Puigdemont maintained that on October 1 the people of Catalonia decided on becoming an independent state through a referendum that had “the endorsement of a high percentage of voters”. A percentage, the Catalan president noted, which was “higher than the one allowing the United Kingdom to initiate the Brexit process” and more votes in favour of it than when the Catalan Statute of Autonomy was ratified.

 

In the previous letter of October 16, Carles Puigdemont explained that the parliamentary session of October 10 was held to evaluate the results and effects of the referendum. In that same session, the President also proposed the suspension of “the effects of the popular mandate” to encourage dialogue. In this regard, the Head of the Catalan Executive proposed a meeting with Mariano Rajoy to explore the possibility of an agreement and urged him to reverse the evident repression inflicted on the people and the Government of Catalonia.

 

However, not only did the meeting between the two leaders not take place, but the repression seen in Catalonia “has, in fact, increased and resulted in the imprisonment of the president of Òmnium Cultural and the president of the Catalan National Assembly”.

 

In spite of the circumstances, he assured that the suspension was still valid. However he criticised that the State’s only answer has been to threat to suspend Catalonia’s self-government. According to the President, it shows that Mr Rajoy is “not aware of the problem” and feels no need to enter into dialogue.

 

Ultimately, if the State Government persists in “blocking dialogue and the repression continues”, Puigdemont warned that the Parliament of Catalonia would “proceed, if deemed appropriate, to vote on the formal declaration of independence”, which it refrained from doing on October 10^th.