The president of the ANC (Catalan National Assembly), Jordi Sànchez, has predicted that it's very probable that next Monday Mariano Rajoy's Spanish government will "blow up" the Catalan government's institutions. He doesn't discount more mobilisations and "new large-scale standstills" (strikes, in most practical terms) in Catalonia.
In a letter sent to ANC members, he warned that the coming Monday will be decisive as it will see the decisions from the National Audience as to how to proceed over the cases of sedition brought against him as well as the president of Òmnium Cultural, Jordi Cuixart, head of the Mosso d'Esquadra (Catalan police), Josep Lluís Trapero, and the Mossos superintendent Teresa Laplana.
"I have the feeling that we're being used as hostages by the public prosecutor and other high Spanish courts. Also on Monday, Rajoy's government will most likely decide to blow up the institutions of the Catalan government to put them under his control," wrote Sànchez.
According to the ANC's president, whatever happens, members should maintain the network of trust because "there's no going back in the determination to construct a new independent State in the form of a Republic".
He also advocates for always maintaining a non-violent, peaceful response "in the face of the more than probably repressive and violent attitude of the police forces", alleging that the Spanish state needs a narrative of violence to justify its decisions and repression.
"No repudiation" of the Catalan Republic
In Sànchez's opinion, the Catalan government's offer for dialogue is absolute and honest, but "in no case hides any repudiation of the proclamation of the Republic, much less can it be interpreted as a path to constitutional reform". He urged members to not lose faith in those who have, up till now, represented independence supporters.
After saying that the Catalan government has taken on the mandate from the 1st October referendum and designed a winning strategy, he argued that dialogue has been offered to the central government to make "these last steps to the Republic more practicable, even though an anti-democratic reaction from the Spanish government is felt to be just over the horizon".
He believes that the decision to offer the chance for dialogue was a risky, but honest bet, although he admits that nobody knows if it will come off. He does believe, however, that it was necessary to try it, as international figures and bodies asked "who are currently trying to open communication channels" between the two governments.