Exiled Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has denounced the "inconsistency" of the European Union's actions in an interview on Canadian public television on Friday. The president told Anne-Marie Dussault on the Ici RDI news channel that "it is surprising that within the EU a referendum can be perfectly legal in Scotland, while in Spain it is a crime." In this regard, he regretted that "Western democracies" allow political prisoners to be held and others to become exiles, and he labeled it as an "unacceptable situation".
16 mois après le référendum, 12 leaders catalans seront bientôt jugés. L'ancien président en exil ne baisse pas les bras.
— Anne-Marie Dussault (@AMarieDussault) 2 de febrer de 2019
Je m'entretiens avec Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS)#1erOctobre2017 #Puigdemont #RDI2460 https://t.co/OYnmvGDZP4
Translation:
16 months after the referendum, 12 Catalan leaders will soon be tried. The former president in exile does not give up. I speak with Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) —Anne-Marie Dussault
The president explained that prisoners and exiles are paying "a very heavy price" and he acknowledged the harshness of the situation. "But we have to keep fighting", he asserted. Once again, he opened the doors to dialogue and recalled that "Pedro Sánchez became Spanish prime minister thanks to our support." "I ask for a political dialogue," Puigdemont said.
When asked about his future, Puigdemont explained that his work, now, will continue to be the internationalization of the conflict. "I will continue travelling around Europe and the world to give the message that Catalans want to exercise their right to decide their own future, like the rest of the world's peoples. Spain is not an exemplary democracy," he concluded.
The full interview (in French) is here.