On 8 April, the Spanish congress rejected a bill that would have transferred the authority to call a referendum on self-determination to the Catalan regional parliament. Contrary to the constructive attitude of UK prime minister David Cameron towards Scotland, the attitude of Spanish political forces continues to be a 'no' to everything.
Unfortunately, Madrid doesn't seem to understand the Catalan desire for freedom and to be able to choose our own path. It is not just a caprice; it is a deep rooted and growing sentiment across Catalan society.
"Contrary to the constructive attitude of UK prime minister David Cameron towards Scotland, the attitude of Spanish political forces continues to be a 'no' to everything"
The will of the Catalan people cannot be stopped by a vote in the Spanish congress or by a threat of expulsion from the EU. Catalan people will continue to act as they always did; in a dignified, positive, constructive, enthusiastic, democratic and peaceful manner as they showed to the world in a massive nonviolent demonstration that took place on 11 September 2013 called "la via Catalana" where 1.6 million citizens held hands over 400 kilometres from the north to the south of Catalonia asking to vote.
On 9 November we will go to the polls to decide our future, Europe needs to grasp the Catalan will of self-determination as a measure of its success, as an opportunity to show its strength to the world and its commitment to the basic fundamental values of its treaties. Permitting Catalans to vote would set a model of best practices and show to the world that the European way to deal with political and territorial conflicts is with full respect for democracy.