Political party Ciutadans (Cs) and the anti-independence organisation Societat Civil Catalana (SCC) are well-known to have had a close relationship in the past. Today, however, the leader of Cs in the Catalan Parliament, Carlos Carrizosa, attacked SCC, accusing them of "embracing the thesis" of Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and his PSOE party.
Carrizosa was speaking to news agency Europa Press. Some three weeks ago, SCC's president Fernando Sánchez Costa said "you can't say 'no' to two million people", referring to supporters of Catalan independence, arguing the unionist movement should base its strategy on channeling them towards fighting to improve Catalonia within Spain.
Carrizosa believes they should instead be trying to mobilise those Catalans opposed to independence, not "taking sides in the political confrontation". He said it should try to counter the independence movement which has "dishonestly worked for decades to place its members in professional colleges, public corporations, union, guilds and business associations".
The leader of the opposition in Catalonia was supported in his comments by Movimiento Cívico 12 de Octubre. In a press statement, they wrote that they believe SCC has abandoned "the defence of the principles of the civil constitutionalism" in Catalonia, as well as its leadership position. They say it has sparked "demobilisation and distrust".
The Cs politician also announced that his party will again boycott the ceremonies for Catalonia's national day on 11th September organised by the Catalan government, believing it to have been "kidnapped by nationalism".
Today's signs of division within the pro-union camp mirror similar disagreements in recent days between the pro-independence parties as to what direction to take.