Carles Puigdemont says Catalonia is ‘as crucial to EU’s future as Brexit’

He was speaking at a debate at the University of Copenhagen on his first trip outside Brussels — where he has been in self-imposed exile — since October.

Puigdemont, who leads the pro-independence Together for Catalonia (JxCat) accused the European Union of demonstrating double standards over a perceived breach of democratic principles.

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So far, the EU has backed the Spanish Government over the Catalan independence question, but he said the bloc could not dismiss it as an internal matter.

“Democracy is at stake throughout Europe. Franco’s shadow is still lengthened in Spain,” he warned.

“It’s hard to understand why the EU has a double standard with certain countries. What is happening in Catalonia is decisive to its future. How is it possible that the EU treats Spain and Poland so differently?

“We are still pro-European, but we cannot, of course, turn a blind eye to [the EU’s] failures. The problem is what type of negotiation is possible when the other side does not recognise the dignity of the other.

“We only want to agree a question that can be discussed at the polls, as in Scotland.”

Puigdemont broached the possibility of holding a referendum on Catalan independence at the Spanish level. He said: “Nobody has suggested a vote for all Spain, it could be a solution, or a starting point for a proposal.”

However, he went on criticise Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for refusing to open discussions: “In democracy, the right to not discuss does not exist.”

Puigdemont had boarded a Ryanair flight to Copenhagen early yesterday morning, well aware that he could have been arrested.

The Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office indicated on Sunday that it would request that a European Arrest Warrant, which had previously been withdrawn, be reactivated.

However, Spanish Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena dismissed the request, saying that the trip to Denmark was a “provocation” on the part of Puigdemont.

Llarena said it was important to wait until “constitutional order” had returned to Catalonia.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Roger Torrent, named Puigdemont as its presidential candidate for the new parliamentary term, saying he had the most support among MPs in the legislature.

Torrent did not confirm when a debate on the nomination would be held, although if parliament sticks to its usual timetable it would be by the end of this month.

Neither did Torrent comment on whether Puigdemont could be sworn in remotely from Belgium.

“I am aware of Puigdemont’s judicial and personal situation, and of his absolute legitimacy to be the candidate,” he said. “My duty as the Speaker of the Catalan Parliament is to do all in my power to ensure that all MPs can express themselves freely.”

Rajoy and his ministers, meanwhile, said they would appeal to the courts and maintain Madrid’s direct rule of Catalonia under Article 155 of the Spanish constitution should Puigdemont be elected while abroad.

Torrent added that he planned to meet the five sacked cabinet members, who were all re-elected in December and who are with Puigdemont in Belgium.

He also wanted to arrange to meet the three pro-independence MPs who are in prison.

Torrent said he had also written to Rajoy to seek a meeting to discuss the “atypical” situation in the Catalan Parliament, where “eight MPs have seen their rights to political representation, and that of the citizens they represent, infringed”.

He added: “The limitation in the exercising of the rights of MPs would mean the limitation of the sovereignty of our people.”