French news radio station France Info has reported comments by Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, in which he refuses to meet with Catalan president Carles Puigdemont after yesterday's election, saying he only wants to do so with Cs leader Inés Arrimadas. The news caused a flood of reactions with many French social media users not understanding Rajoy's attitude.
Translation: Carles Puigdemont ready to meet Mariano Rajoy. Spanish prime minister's response: "Myself, I intend to sit down at a negotiating table with the winner of the election, Mrs Arrimadas" (leader of the party of unionists)
A selection of the reactions, including some from local French politicians, are below:
Mariano Rajoy insults the Catalans by refusing to meet Carles Puigdemont. Do I have to remind him that if he continues in this vein, it's going to end up in civil war.
I know people short on spirit and narrow-minded and of bad faith, I know loads of them, but he's really a champion. Anti-democratic and Francoist Mr Rajoy.
I'm ever more sure that this affair is going to end very badly, and even quicker than I thought. This type of statement, unless quickly corrected, can lead Spain to the abyss in few years or even less.
An absolutely absurd and pointless reaction.
When you're an idiot, you're an idiot... That he supports the union, no worries, but to deny that the majority of voters are pro-independence is to say "in the end, early election, fuck off".
But what an idiot this guy is! Macrette hasn't won! What a denial of democracy! It's just incredible!
There are also some who refer to former French prime minister Manuel Valls' support for the unionist parties.
Manuel Valls, and voila, what's going to happen now...