The Spanish Senate has given a last offer for Catalan president Carles Puigdemont to come face-to-face with Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy before article 155 of the Constitution is definitively enacted which would lead to the removal of the Catalan government from office on Saturday. The vice-president of the chamber, Pedro Sanz, announced that if Puigdemont goes to the senate he will have a debate with the Spanish government, "not a single speech". There are two possibilities: the first is that he attends the Senate Commission to meet on Thursday, the second that he attends the meeting of the full Senate on Friday where it is expected that Rajoy will appear.
The announcement followed the chamber's president, Pío García-Escudero, offering on Monday for Puigdemont to go to the Senate to detail his pleas against the application of article 155. Puigdemont's response was immediate and in favour of the idea. The Catalan executive has already formulated its arguments against the suspension of self-government which will have to be argued in some way, if not by Puigdemont himself, to the specially-created Senate commission on Thursday. There are suggestions that this commission might be attended by deputy prime minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría.
The Catalan government has not yet formally confirmed whether Puigdemont will appear on behalf of the executive, but both his PDeCAT party (Catalan European Democratic Party) and coalition partners ERC (Catalan Republican Left) say that they will accept whatever decision the president finally takes. Puigdemont has until 10am on Thursday to inform the Senate whether he will go or he will send a representative and to set a time. Josep Lluís Cleries, spokesperson for PDeCAT, has asked that Puigdemont be able to appear any time from now, just after the commission has been set up, until Thursday afternoon. The petition was seconded by Miquel Àngel Estradé, spokesperson for ERC.
From the Catalan branch of PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), first secretary Miquel Iceta has celebrated the Senate's offer of a face-to-face debate during an informal conversation with El Nacional. He believes that if Puigdemont goes to the Senate and explains that he didn't declare independence, the Spanish government would react with dialogue, stopping the article 155 process if elections are called. This idea, defended by PSOE, does contradict Spanish government statements.
ERC's complaint
The mounting of the commission for article 155 has raised a complaint from ERC senator Mirella Cortès. According to the senator, the Senate's Board has "unilaterally" decided the calendar and manner to process the measures decided upon by the central government for Catalonia. In her opinion, this shows that the Senate "steamrolls over those who think differently". She also criticised a "lack of democracy" and "violation of the rights of the senators" nominated by the autonomous communities. Cortès added that the decisions were taken by the Board, not the Board of Spokespeople, with support from PP (Popular Party) and PSOE.