Former French president, François Hollande, has visited Perpignan this Monday to present his latest book. And, whilst there, he's had to comment on the Catalan conflict. Asked by a French Catalan journalist, he said it has to be tackled "through democratic means".
Although he starts noting that he won't "allow [himself] to interfere in a country close to [France]", the former president admitted there is a "crisis" in Catalonia to be overcome "through democratic means".
Hollande said the message he could offer was one of "respect for rights, respect for territorial integrity and respect for diversity through the law which has to apply for all, but also the recognition of this singular situation".