During an informative briefing on the upcoming Catalan referendum of self-determination organised by the EA Group in the Committee of the Regions, Amadeu Altafaj, the representative of the Government of Catalonia to the European Union defended the democratic legitimacy of its government to follow on the mandate received from the Catalan people and its Parliament.

On the 1st October the Catalan people will have an opportunity to freely express their opinion on the right of Catalonia to self-determination and a massive, peaceful participation would be the best response to the acts of repression and intimidation by the Spanish Government.

The European Alliance President Karl Vanlouwe and Member of the Flemish Parliament, called on the European Union institutions to condemn the heavy handed and oppressive tactics of the Spanish Government in Catalonia.  No EU Member State should be allowed to erode civil rights and democratic principles which are the basis of our common European project.   The people of Catalonia have a democratic right to express their wishes through the ballot box and it is not acceptable that the freedoms taken for granted in the European Union are being suppressed by the Spanish Government.