Catalonia's President Speaks a Week After Historic Independence Vote (VIDEO)

On Tuesday, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont declared that sovereignty is the only form of maintaining self-governance for Catalonia.

During the first address after the historic referendum in Catalonia, Puigdemont stated that during the referendum millions of Catalans gave their mandate for living in a sovereign republic state. Moreover, he added that Catalan independence is a European issue.

Meanwhile, on October 1, more than 90 percent of Catalans voted for sovereignty in a referendum which the Spanish government declared illegitimate. Spain's King Felipe Vi described the vote as an attempt to "break the unity of Spain and national sovereignty, which is the right of all the Spanish people to decide democratically." The European Commission referred to the matter as an internal issue between Madrid and Barcelona.