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"There has to be an end to Spain's period of transition which has gone on for 40 years." That's the view that French Green party MEP and trade unionist José Bové put forward in an interview with Catalonia's TV3 on Saturday night. Bové wondered whether "a party will emerge which wants to reform the Spanish Constitution." In this regard, he says, "the only ones who have been brave are the Catalans".

Speaking on TV3's programme FAQs, Bové commented that between the "last Rajoy government of Spain and the current Sánchez government", there is little difference, explaining this in terms of the 'regime of 1978' which both are part of: the current Spanish system, he said, which emerged after the death of Franco is based on an "agreement between the extreme right, the king", and the rest of the political parties "in order to have a period of transition". But, he added, that's "been going on for 40 years."

The French MEP speculated that one day "a Spanish political party will be brave enough to stand for election on a platform of adopting a new constitution", which will "recognize specific spaces such as Catalonia or the Basque Country" - that is, for a federal Spain. Bové says courage is necessary to do this. "The only ones who are brave at the moment are the Catalans." 

In addition, José Bové also commented on the role of extreme right party Vox in the Catalan independence trial, where it has taken advantage of the Spanish option of mounting a private prosecution. He compared that with the system in France: "The French Constitution does not allow an extremist party to spread its own electoral propaganda, to carry out its own election campaign through its presence in the court." 

"It's incredible", he said. "That party doesn't represent society".