"The king of [article] 155 has a final opportunity for correction". That's how Catalan president Carles Puigdemont referred to Spanish king Felipe VI in an interview with the news agency Reuters, putting the focus on the Christmas speech this king will give tomorrow, Sunday.
"The monarch decided to take part in the Spanish government's police", said Puigdemont, something he described as a "serious error" on the part of the king. The president was referring to the speech Felipe VI gave on 3rd October, two days after Catalonia's independence referendum, when "he preferred to be the monarch of [article] 155, the monarch of the Spanish government and not the head of state of a state which could welcome different solutions". During the interview, the Catalan president urged the king to rectify his earlier comments.
Puigdemont also said that from prison he couldn't defend the Catalan government and the mandate from the voters. "I'm ready to defend the institution and the mandate from the ballot boxes. For me that's more important. I'm in Brussels to be able to continue defending that. From prison not only couldn't I do that, but that it would be terrible news for Spanish democracy."
Puigdemont said that he wants to return to Catalonia and that it would be good news for Catalonia and Spain for Spanish democracy to "restore the democratic legality which the Spanish government interrupted".
He called to end with the "contradiction" implied by him being able to stand for election on a pro-independence platform, for the pro-independence side to win and for him then to possible go to prison "for making possible the election commitment".
He indicated that he's prepared to defend the Catalan government and the mandate from the ballot boxes, and that he can continue doing so from Brussels, but not from prison. He also expressed him opinion that his imprisonment "wouldn't help to sort things out either" and urged for the "clear" mandate from the Catalan people to be listened to.