The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has proposed creating a multi-level dialogue platform, under the umbrella of the European Union, to promote negotiations between the Catalan and Spanish governments and to help to solve the Catalan political crisis. The mayor described this plan to consuls of the European countries and representatives of the European institutions in Barcelona, in a meeting this Thursday at the city hall.
"Europe should intervene", said Colau in a press conference after the meeting. For her, the Catalan conflict is now "not only a Catalan and Spanish question", but has a "European dimension". As such, she asked the meeting's attendees to carefully consider her proposal.
Colau was very respectful of the role of the European nations and especially that of the European Union, saying that she's very aware that they "have to respect internal affairs" and be "respectful" of member states, but asked that they get involved to "reduce the tension".
Trying to avoid the proposal being understood as mediation, which the Spanish state has already rejected, Colau spoke of a "dialogue platform" which would help to "reduce the tension". She also said that she didn't aim for it to be "driven by the EU, but under its umbrella" because that way it would have "more force".
The mayor was also very critical of Mariano Rajoy's Spanish government, for having opted for solving a "political" conflict through the courts, but also with Carles Puigdemont's Catalan government for pursuing a unilateral path. "Nor is judicialisation effective, nor will the unilateral path help to solve the conflict," she said.
Colau also made note of the police repression, saying that on Sunday there was a regrettable "violation of rights and liberties" and that members of the public found themselves in a situation of "defencelessness".