CATALUNYA'S strongly pro-independence regional president Carles Puigdemont has revealed that in a meeting with aspiring Spanish president Pedro Sánchez, he agreed with the PSOE that the region would be 'willing to discuss the date, question, quora and alternative ideas' for a referendum.
The PSOE leader has always been dead against allowing a vote on Catalunya's independence, which is one of the brick walls he has run into with likely coalition partners Podemos – the latter's leader, Pablo Iglesias, is against the region's secession but wants to allow a referendum, saying any break-up of Spain should be averted through democracy and discussion rather than iron-fisted rules.
Pedro Sánchez's other possible government partners, centre-liberal Ciudadanos, have also set a no-referendum rule as a red line to working together.
But the recently-elected Puigdemont (pictured) says Sánchez appeared more flexible during their meeting last week.
“If there is a willingness to promote a referendum on the central government's part, it will not be up to us to make sure the conditions behind it are satisfactory for both parties,” Puigdemont announced, cryptically.
“But we have agreed with Sánchez that we would be willing to discuss the date, the question asked, the quorum, and to include possible alternatives.”
Puigdemont says a unilateral declaration of independence is 'not in his plans'.
“What we have always said is that to be able to proclaim independence and become a separate State, we need to approve a series of laws first.
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