Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy rebukes Catalan leader for not clarifying independence declaration

'It is still possible for you to return the region to its normal situation and show the allegiance to the state that everybody is demanding'

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (Sergio Perez/Reuters)

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy issued a sternly worded rebuke to his Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont for his failure to clarify whether he had or had not declared Catalonia to be independent, before extending the timeframe for its leaders to do so by three days.

“You and your government’s latest actions are creating a serious fracture in Catalan society and massive economic uncertainty for its citizens,” he wrote in an open letter. “It is still possible for you to return the region to its normal situation and show the allegiance to the state that everybody is demanding.”

Mr Rajoy concluded by warning that should Mr Puigdemont fail to backtrack by Thursday, “you will be the only person responsible for the application of the Constitution”.

This was a thinly veiled reference to the fast-increasing likelihood of the Spanish premier using Article 155 of Spain’s state legislation to trigger direct rule in Catalonia from Madrid, probably as early as the end of this week.

In Spain’s worst political turmoil since a failed coup d’état in 1981, Mr Puigdemont declared independence for Catalonia last week, before promptly and confusingly suspending it in order to propose a last minute round of negotiations.

The Spanish government responded with a formal demand that Mr Puigdemont clarify his position on Catalan independence by a first deadline of Monday morning at 10 am.

There is now a second, definitive deadline of Thursday for him to change his mind if he continued to insist on Catalonia breaking away – or face direct intervention from Madrid.

Instead, in a move that allows Mr Puigdemont to play for a little more time, the Catalan premier replied with a fresh demand for direct negotiations between himself and Mr Rajoy.

“For the next two months, our main objective is dialogue,” Mr Puigdemont wrote in a letter sent early on Monday. “Let’s not let the situation deteriorate further. I am sure we can find the path to a solution. Our offer for dialogue is sincere despite everything that has happened.”

Inside Catalonia, this latest offer for negotiations has mainly been backed by Mr Puigdemont’s loose coalition of nationalists, although the hard-line CUP party continued to argue that he should first declare Catalan independence.

However, it has drawn a deeply irritated response from Madrid, based on the view that rather than wanting to talk, Mr Puigdemont is continuing to sit on the fence.

“Puigdemont has decided not to answer, when it wasn’t that hard to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’,” said deputy PM Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, “We deeply regret that. Nobody’s denying him the right to ask for dialogue, but you can only have dialogue inside the law.”

Legality is a key issue to the whole current crisis, given that the Catalan referendum on 1 October, on which Mr Puigdemont has created his mandate for the current independence drive, was declared unconstitutional by the Spanish courts.

This second, definitive three-day period for Mr Puigdemont to bring his declaration of independence out of its current state of limbo is required by the Spanish Constitution before article 155 can be enforced.

A further failure by Mr Puigdemont to respond clearly, though, will automatically be taken as a declaration of independence, with Madrid reportedly already drawing up plans for taking control of the region’s finances and police force, the Mossos D’Esquadra.

Around 10,000 Civil Guard and National Police have been stationed in Catalonia since the crisis began and there are fears that using Article 155 could prove a high risk strategy and provoke further mass demonstrations and unrest in the region.

As the political tension continues to deepen in Catalonia, Mr Rajoy has now headed to his home region of Galicia in Spain’s most northwesterly side to help oversee efforts to battle a huge outbreak of forest fires. So far four Spaniards have died in 67 separate blazes, the region’s worst single outbreak of wildfire this year.

Meanwhile yet more court appearances for top Catalan officials and nationalist figures play their role in keeping the region’s political crisis in the headlines.

The head of Catalonia’s police force, Jose Luis Trapero, appeared before Spain’s High Court for a second time.

The Catalan police force, as well as two top nationalist association leaders, Jordi Cuixert and Jordi Sanchez, are all facing potential accusations of sedition over their role in the build-up to the 1 October referendum – which brought the current political crisis to its head.

The court said that Catalonia’s police chief would not be held in custody after the state prosecutor earlier asked for his detention while he is formally investigated.

A court spokesman said Josep Lluis Trapero’s passport would be withdrawn and he would not be able to leave Spain while the investigation continues.

Prosecutors had previously alleged that Mr Trapero failed to rescue officers from the Civil Guard, a national police force, who were trapped inside a Catalan government building in Barcelona by pro-independence protesters in September.