By 
The order of factors…
About this:
Catalonia held a referendum on independence on October 1, with a majority voting in favor of separating from Spain. The Spanish government and the Constitutional Court declared the vote illegal, which led to massive protests in Catalonia.
The order is not right. First, it was declared illegal, which led to a vast abstention. Second, software was broken down, so there is no trustful counting of votes. This article leads to a misunderstanding: it’s not that the poll became illegal because the government didn’t like the result. Actually, the result is completely unknown.
Posted on 10/9/17 | 2:20 PM CEST
david lennard
Given the current intransigent attitudes of both principals of the drama, better not to hold your breath regarding the likelihood of constructive negotiation. Vincenç Navarro’s verdict that this is the end of the post transition accord seems more and more plausible. If mediation were to be requested, some kind of constitutional amendment in the direction of a true federal state would probably be recommended.
Posted on 10/9/17 | 2:34 PM CEST
Heinz Wolff
Well, history repeats itself. Most EU countries said the Baltics, Slovenia and others will never be recognised as countries. Now they are members of the EU.
By the way. Am I the only horrified that the Spanish Gov has threatened the Catalan President???
Pablo Casado said that he will end like president Companys, which was kidnapped by the German Gestapo and executed by the Francoist dictatorship in Barcelona.
Is this kind of behaviour a new trend in the EU?
Posted on 10/9/17 | 3:30 PM CEST
Vishnou
Of course, it wouldn’t be recognised because it is simply illegal according to the rule of law. This is clear, simple, obvious. Those who refuse to get it have a serious problem when it comes to basic respect of constitutional rules.
Posted on 10/9/17 | 3:39 PM CEST
François P
Smart intervention by the French to pass clear messages to the Catalan separatists. Beyond the content of the message itself, the fact that it is the lowly ranked Minister for European Affairs who is delivering it is a way of telling the Catalan separatists that they shouldn’t overestimate their importance.
Posted on 10/9/17 | 3:50 PM CEST
radious
Spanish Popular party threat to shoot Catalan President Carles Puigdemont.
Today Spanish Popular party by Pablo Casado has said at an official press conference, he has threatened with shooting the Catalan president. As already happened in the past with Lluis Companys, the only president elected shot in Europe by Spain state under Franco dictator rule.
Posted on 10/9/17 | 3:59 PM CEST
Peter
It is made illegal by Spanish law if declare independence then surely Spanish law no longer applies to them!
Of course Spain will send in an army of occupation which the EU will condone but in theory it works
Posted on 10/9/17 | 4:07 PM CEST
François P
Heinz Wolff: another Russian troll?
“Well, history repeats itself. Most EU countries said the Baltics, Slovenia and others will never be recognised as countries. Now they are members of the EU.”
Given that most of the countries of the West had never recognised the annexion of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union in 1940 (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact), they didn’t have to re-recognise their independence in the early nineties. I read an article a few months ago about how quickly France reopened its embassies there.
Slovenia: most countries recognised its independence very quickly. Was never much of an issue.
Posted on 10/9/17 | 4:30 PM CEST
Heinz Wolff
@Vishnou most EU countries independences were done against their former country laws. So it’s a bit absurd to talk about legality when it’s a political issue.
For instance the Soviet Union laws didn’t recognize the independence of its parts (Estonia. Latvia, Lithuania, etc.). Same in Czechoslovakia, and now we have Czechia and Slovakia. And long etc.
Posted on 10/9/17 | 4:46 PM CEST
Stop and think
The French Minister seems to have contradicted herself. If the unilateral declaration will not be recognised, then there is no automatic consequence of leaving the EU, because Catalonia will still be 100% Spain.
Posted on 10/9/17 | 1:41 PM CEST