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Catalan minister for Foreign Affairs, Institutional Relations and Transparency, Raül Romeva, asked this Monday "how can the European Union democracies (...) be credible" if they allow the Spanish government to take control of Catalonia.

In an interview with the Today programme on British radio channel BBC Radio 4, Romeva also criticised the Spanish government's handling of the situation over the years, and said that it's now a question of the "fundamental roots of a democracy". Asked how they would prevent the Spanish government taking control, removing the Catalan government from office, he responded asking how "the European Union [could] live in that situation". He then stated that "the people and institutions of Catalonia would not let this happen".

Romeva also said that officials "won't follow orders from Madrid" and wanted to make it clear that Rajoy's government "is acting against the will of the Catalan people".