Catalan MEP regrets EU 'silence' over jailed leaders after bloc demands Turkey release Kurdish prisoner
ERC's Jordi Solé calls both cases "similar" and questions "double standards" of European institutions
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Catalan MEPs demand release of 'political prisoners' in letter to colleagues
Pro-independence representatives urge Madrid to "allow the return of exiled politicians and to start a negotiation" with the Catalan government
MEP invites European Commission head to visit jailed Catalan leaders
ERC's Jordi Solé suggests Jean-Claude Juncker should talk to prisoners about "European values"
Pro-independence parties reject new threshold for EU parliament election
Regulation obliges member states to set a minimum of 2% to 5% of votes for a candidacy to get a seat in the chamber
European Parliament vetoes exhibit featuring Catalan ‘political prisoners’
Controversial series of portraits was removed from Madrid’s ARCO art festival
‘EU is not living up to what defenders of human rights expect of it,’ says MEP at UN
Two side events on the Catalan issue are held at the international organisation's headquarters in Geneva
MEPs denounce ‘arbitrariness’ of Spanish judiciary towards independence leaders
Representatives of two Catalan parties present question to European Commission alleging “flagrant” breach of rights
ERC reports irregularities in overseas voting
MEPs of the pro-independence party ask the European Commission if voting rights of people abroad "have been violated"
MEPs protest incarceration of civil society leaders in front of European Parliament
European politicians spoke out against Spain’s disregard for “democracy and human rights”
Referendum raids and arrests cause ‘concern’ in Brussels
MEPs from different EU parties condemn action of Spanish police against Catalan executive, though European Commission declines to comment
Jordi Solé (MEP): ‘We won't ask Brussels for permission to have our referendum’
Member of European Parliament says EU should only "get involved" in Catalonia to help "implement" referendum result
Catalan MEPs report “disgraceful and anti-democratic” 9-N sentence to the European Parliament
Catalan MEPs from left wing pro-independence party ERC Josep Maria Terricabras and Jordi Solé, and Ramon Tremosa, representing the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) sent a letter to the 751 members of the European Parliament condemning Monday’s sentence against former Catalan government figures over the 9-N symbolic vote on independence, which took place in Catalonia in 2014. They consider “disgraceful and anti-democratic” the sentencing to a two year-ban from holding public office for former Catalan President, Artur Mas and the 21-month and 18-month bans for former vice president Joana Ortega and former Catalan Minister for Education Irene Rigau for allowing the non-binding referendum to take place. The Catalan MEPs assured in their joint letter that the court’s decision “will not deter the Catalans' will to express their views at the ballot box”.
Tajani urged to keep his word and allow Catalan in the European Parliament
Catalan MEPs asked the new president of the European Parliament, the European People’s Party’s Antonio Tajani, to maintain his promise and make it possible for them to speak Catalan in the plenary. During the electoral campaign for the chamber presidency, Tajani said that he would use all his power to allow Catalan to be used in parliament “as soon as possible” if he receives a petition “from the national authorities”. In a letter written in this language, the Italian added that he would put “no obstacles” to introducing Catalan. His Catalan promise came after the socialist candidate, Gianni Pittella, the ECR candidate, Helga Stevens, and the Greens/EFA candidate, Jean Lambert, also promised to allow the use of Catalan in the European Parliament.
Electronic voting for Catalans abroad to be available “for the next elections”, Catalan Minister says
The Catalan Minister for Public Administrations Meritxell Borràs, stated that “in a matter of weeks” the Catalan Parliament will have a bill to “discuss and pass” electronic voting for Catalans abroad. “We just need the political will in order to make electronic voting become a reality for the next Catalan elections”, she stated during the 8th European Meeting of Catalan Communities, held between the 30th of September and the 2nd of October in London. During the last elections, only 7.5% of the nearly 200,000 Catalans living abroad and registered to vote were able to do so and 7,000 ballots that were sent on time weren’t able to reach their destination. “The vote abroad is an authentic odyssey”, said Borràs.
Puigdemont chooses Brussels for his first official trip abroad
Brussels is the chosen destination for Catalan President Carles Puigdemont’s first official trip abroad. It will be from the 30th of April to the 2nd of May and comes after Puigdemont’s visit to Paris, scheduled for March, had to be cancelled due to the coach accident which killed 13 Erasmus students in Freginals, in the South of Catalonia. Puigdemont made the announcement this Monday during a meeting with the delegates of the Catalan government abroad, the Catalan Government’s representative to the European Union, Amadeu Altafaj, the Catalan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raül Romeva, and the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Jordi Solé. During the meeting, Puigdemont also confirmed the government’s will to open new delegations in the Vatican and Morocco as soon as possible.