President of the Government commences round of contacts with parliamentary political forces

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government thus commenced the round of contacts that he had announced on Sunday night to study potential political responses to the serious situation of institutional disobedience taking place in the autonomous region of Catalonia.

President of the Government Rajoy thanked both leaders for their sincerity in outlining their positions and the loyalty that both have shown to our constitutional order, under threat from repeated attempts by some people to wipe out our national sovereignty and the unity of Spain.

The President of the Government expressed his interest in responsibly and loyally studying the proposals that the rest of the political forces wished to make, on the understanding that they are only interested in seeking the common good and defending our democratic system. He also conveyed to both political leaders the suitability of everyone maintaining an interest in reaching a consensus to tackle the serious challenge posed to our democratic system.

At his meetings on Monday afternoon, the President of the Government strongly defended the actions taken by the law enforcement agencies on Sunday and recalled that more than 400 police officers have had to be treated and that in 40 cases their injuries required immediate attention.

Pool Moncloa/Diego Crespo

Contact with European leaders

During the course of Monday, the President of the Government also had the opportunity to explain the failure of the referendum on self-determination called in Catalonia to several European leaders. Mariano Rajoy held talks with the Presidents of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, as well as with the Rotating President of the Council of the European Union, the Prime Minister of Estonia, Juri Ratas. He thanked all of them, as well as the French President, Emmanuel Macron, for their support shown at all times for the Spanish constitutional order. President of the Government Rajoy underlined that the government's determination to prevent the illegal referendum at all times has contributed to maintaining the stability and democracy of the European Union as a whole.

The government expresses its gratitude for the various calls made on Monday to defend the law and maintains its commitment to continue seeking a joint response to the pro-independence challenge with the rest of the political forces within the framework of respect for legality, a condition precedent for any political activity.

Non official translation