The president of Catalonia, Quim Torra, has assured in an interview with the digital newspaper Público.es that he has "no intention of calling elections when the verdicts arrive" in the Supreme Court case of the 12 pro-independence leaders. Torra, who says that "he is at the service of this country" until "the independent Republic of Catalonia" becomes a reality, affirms that a "unitary and collective response" to the Supreme Court judges' verdicts is needed; a response, he says, that involves "once again exercising the right to self-determination".
"That is the [response] that I am working for and will continue to work for tirelessly every day until the trial verdicts", said the Catalan president. The reaction to the verdicts must be "unitary, plural and firm", it must be approved by Parliament and, he said, it must "build on the democratic principle" and include the "exercising of all rights which have been denied."
In the interview with Público.es, Torra admits that a "collective self-criticism" is necessary given the current situation of discord between the main pro-independence parties, but he also asks people "to appreciate" that despite "the contradictions" the "Catalan government is still here."
Torra accuses outgoing Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell of being "one of the great pyromaniacs of political life" and says it is an "international scandal" that he ordered espionage against Catalan and international politicians in Europe.
Regarding the current negotiations to form a Spanish government, Torra reiterates that they will not give Pedro Sánchez a "blank cheque" and he regrets that he has no idea what the PSOE leader's plans are for Catalonia.