MEP Carles Puigdemont has spoken for the first time in a plenary session of the European Parliament, warning that "Catalonia is today a European internal affair". The Catalan politician said that a "political solution" to his country's independence issue "must be found through dialogue and negotiation".
"The EU must advance to find a common democratic mechanism for self-determination. Repression cannot be an acceptable solution. Now it's time for European politicians to speak up and show the world that the right to self-determination is the best and most democratic way to solve territorial conflicts not only in Europe but all around the world".
Puigdemont, who along with fellow Catalan politician Toni Comín, had taken his seat in the EU chamber for the first time on Monday, spoke during the debate to present the activity programme for Croatia's presidency of turn of the EU, which has just begun. "The issue of Catalonia will be present during the Croatian presidency, " said the Catalan president in exile.
Like other MEPs, he was given one minute of speaking time, in a speech made from his seat. The debate had begun with discourses by the prime minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, and the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von del Leyen.
Puigdemont, the Catalan president whose government held the 2017 referendum on independence from Spain, recalled in his short address that Croatia had gained independence quite recently and thanked the Croatian PM for speaking out in favour of dialogue between Catalonia and Spain.