Catalonia Bid for Independence ‘Rebellion’ – Spanish FM

Spain is facing a full-scale rebellion in Catalonia, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said Monday, after a Catalan independence roadmap document was presented through diplomatic channels to the regional parliament last week.

MADRID (Sputnik) – On October 27, the pro-independence Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) Coalition and their allies from the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) party submitted a resolution to the regional parliament, detailing the beginning of the process of creating an independent Catalan state.

"A full-scale rebellion happened in Catalonia. When someone is faced with such, it is [needs to be] suppressed. It is necessary to prevent the law from being violated," Garcia-Margallo declared in an interview with Antena 3 Television.

According to the foreign minister, the leader of Catalonia, Artur Mas, has recognized the necessity of Catalonian independence “from the first minute and was looking for excuses and alibis for a declaration of independence, to have a full-scale rebellion through a state institutional coup."

The Parliament of Catalonia was formed after the September 27 regional vote. Junts pel Si and CUP have won 72 out of 135 seats in the Catalan parliament, and the People’s Party of Catalonia secured 11 seats.

Catalonia has long sought independence from Spain, but the Spanish government has repeatedly and forcefully declined Catalonia’s right to independence.