THERE are hints of some disquiet among Spain’s European Union partners over the Catalans’ latest push for independence, with some fearing that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s hard-line tactics could backfire.
Officially, the EU line is that Spanish democracy works and that Spaniards should settle their own affairs according to national law – although few European leaders will comment on a “domestic dispute”.
A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had previously told Rajoy that Berlin had “great interest in the maintenance of stability in Spain”.
READ MORE: Mhairi Black: Spain must respect the will of the people of Catalonia
Scotland’s 2014 indyref is inevitably used in comparison with the Catalan situation, which many EU leaders fear could open a Pandora’s box as other indy-supporting groups bid for home rule – such as the Flemings in Belgium and Italian Lombards.
Former LibDem MEP Andrew Duff, who is now with the European Policy Centre think tank, said EU leaders should be engaging quietly with Rajoy “to try to soften the sense of crisis”.
He said: “Rajoy hasn’t played this very cleverly. From Brussels’ perspective, this kind of domestic constitutional crisis cries out for political sophistication of a very high level, which we haven’t yet seen, either from the Catalans or from Madrid. It puts the commission in a very awkward position.”
A senior official said EU president Jean-Claude Juncker was likely to stay silent on the issue for the time being: “It’s like in those police shows. Anything you say can be held against you. It’s better not to say anything.”
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