President Carles Puigdemont has this Friday admitted that he is on a path which "isn't simple, easy nor quick, which is loaded with difficulties", but which is "irreversible". The comments come six months after the declaration of independence in the Parliament of Catalonia.
In an interview with Catalan public broadcaster TV3, he showed concern for his fellow imprisoned and exiled politicians and commented that their very existence "shows that there is a grave democratic anomaly in the Spanish state and we form part of the solution". He said that "in Berlin people are asking why on earth the Spanish state doesn't start negotiating".
On the topic of his initial declaration of independence on 10th October last year, which he immediately suspended, he said it's "likely seen as a mistake", but repeated his position from the time that the aim was to "leave the door open to dialogue".
Puigdemont urged for "time [to be managed] according to our calendar" and not according to "the urgency and needs of an ever more authoritarian adversary". "With patience, with persistence and with perseverance we will reach the end and we'll reach it well," he said.
"We have a people with a peaceful attitude who are fascinating the world", he said, asking that "however many provocations there are we won't change that and we don't have to change that". "We'll make the decisions always respecting the result from the ballot boxes on 21st December, something which neither the pro-union parties nor the Spanish state are doing, and respecting the loyalty of the 1st October".