Speech&of&President&Carles&Puigdemont& &7&31st&October&2017

Last% Friday% evening,% we% were% gathered% at% the% Palace% of% the% Generalitat% in% Barcelona,% a9er%independence%had%been%declared.% In%the%light%of%informa?on%coming%in,%emana?ng%from%various%highly%verified%sources,% indica?ng% that% the% Spanish% Government% was% going% to% launch% a% highly% aggressive% and% unprecedented%offensive%against%the%people%of%,%against%the%civil%servants%that% were%going%to%remain%loyal%to%the%Legi?mate%Government%and%against%this%Government% by%filing%a%complaint%from%the%prosecutor,%that%was%confirmed%yesterday,%with%sentences% that% could% cumulate% to% a% total% of% 500% years% of% prison% for% the% Government% and% the% members% of% the% Bureau% of% the% Parliament% of% Catalonia,% together% with% the% risks% of% immediate%arrests,%we%unanimously%agreed%that%cau?on,%security%and%modera?on%had% to%be%priori?zed.%We%came%to%terms%with%the%fact%that%dialogue%and%nego?a?on,%as%we% had%always%envisaged%as%a%solu?on%for%this%conflict,%was%merely%impossible. % I%would%like%to%remind%you%that%since%the%referendum%took%place%on%1st%of%October,%we% have%always%kept%our%hand%outstretched%for%dialogue,%to%infinity.%We%pushed%our%limit%by% even%sugges?ng%to%suspend%the%declara?on%of%independence%in%exchange%for%a%frank% dialogue%between%the%par?es.%This%proposal%was%always%rejected%by%the%People’s%Party% (PP)%the%Spanish%Socialist%Workers’%Party%(PSOE)%and%C’s,%all%of%them%unwilling%to%accept% that%they%have%a%huge%problem%in%Catalonia%which%they%refuse%to%tackle%poli?cally%but% rather%with%repression.

The%aggression%shown%by%the%State,%of%which%we%have%mul?ple%examples,%such%as%the% following:%over%seven%hundred%accused%mayors%that%agreed%to%help%organising%the%1st% October% vote;% the% bea?ngs% to% thousands% of% people% including% old% people% that% went% to% exercise% their% right% to% vote% peacefully,% the% impunity% of% the% extremeVright,% fines% worth% millions% of% Euros% imposed% on% ins?tu?onal% figures% that% enabled% the% democra?c% consulta?on% on% the% 9XY%of% November% 2014;% and% yesterday% the% complaint% from% prosecutor%Maza%to%which%I%will%refer%later.% The%aggressive%tac?cs%of%’s%central%Government%obliged%us%to,%as%I%have%just%said,%on% Friday%evening,%to%adapt%our%working%plan%to%these%circumstances. Our&key&priority&was,&is&and&will&always&be&to&avoid&violence!&Avoiding&violence,&has& always& –ALWAYS7& been& a& priority& of& the& independence& movement& as& well& as& of& the& Government&of&Catalonia.

It%is%from%this%perspec?ve%that%all%measures%taken%by%the%Government%of%Catalonia%since% Friday%follow%this%line%and%are%consistent%with%the%values%of%peace,%respect%of%plurality% and%neutrality%with%regards%the%sensibili?es%in%the%public%administra?ons. This%Government%could%have%opted%for%obliging%the%civil%servants%that%are%faithful%to%the% Government%to%start%a%dispute%for%the%hegemony,%but%this%government%has%preferred%to% guarantee%that%there%will%be%no%confronta?on,%that%there%will%be%no%violence.%We%can% build%the%Republic%of%us%ALL%without%the%use%of%violence.% If%the%Spanish%Government%wants%to%build%their%project%with%the%use%of%violence%and%fear,% this%is%their%decision,%but%they%cannot%drag%us%into%a%scenario%that%independence%forces% have%consistently%rejected,%as%every%democrat%should%do.

The%Catalan%Government%said%that%it%wouldn’t%put%civil%servants%in%a%difficult%situa?on% and%that%is%what%we%have%done:%not%obliging%them%to%take%parts%in%this%conflict%as%one% single% group% because% they% are% above% all% at% the% service% of% the% country% and% the% public% administra?on.%If%this%aatude%entails%slowing%down%the%unfolding%of%the%Republic,%we% understand%this%is%a%reasonable%price%to%pay%in%Europe%in%the%twenty%first%century. It% is% irrelevant% whether% this% exercise% of% responsibility% will% be% appreciated% or% not% by% others.%It%is%an%ac?on%of%solidarity%that%demonstrates%that%the%Catalan%Republic%will%be%a% different%State.%We%have%not%come%all%the%way%here%to%behave%like%the%Spanish%State%has% been%doing%in%so%many%occasions%which%we%have%cri?cized%publicly.%

Beside% all% this% facts,% yesterday,% the% Prosecutor% Maza% filled% a% complaint,% which% proves% exactly% the% extreme% aggression% outlined% by% the% Government% of% Spain% against% my% Government%and%against%the%people%of%Catalonia. A%complaint%that%is%legally%unfounded,%a%document%which%is%dra9ed%referring%to%poli?cal% facts.% This% is% a% complaint% that% is% focused% on% persecu?ng% an% idea,% some% people,% not% a% crime.%A%Complaint%that%asks%for%30%years%of%prison%for%each%and%every%one%of%us,%which% asks% for% immediate% summons% with% all% the% evidence% that% this% summons% will% lead% to% preven?ve% prison,% as% was% already% the% case% with% the% two% leaders% of% the% Civil% society% movement%that%are%currently%imprisoned,%Jordi%Sànchez%and%Jordi%Cuixart. This% is% a% complaint% that% adds% up% to% the% path% of% utmost% belligerence% chosen% by% the% Spanish% Government% and% which% we% will% not% follow% for% the% sake% of% responsibility% and% prudence.

It& is& from& this& point& of& view& that,& as& I& have& said,& the& legiMmate& Government& of& Catalonia& has& to& adapt& its& working& plan& to& prioriMze& 4& areas& which& I& will& explain& as& follows: heps://ssl.gsta?c.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif a)% One% part% of% the% Government,% led% by% me% as% the% legi?mate% President,% has% come% to% Brussels%in%order%to%explain%the%Catalan%problem%in%the%ins?tu?onal%heart%of%Europe.%We% want% to% denounce% the% poli?ciza?on% of% the% Spanish% jus?ce,% its% lack% of% impar?ality,% its% pursuing% of% ideas,% not% crimes,% and% to% explain% to% the% World% the% serious% democra?c% deficiencies% the% Spanish% State% has.% As% well% as% to% explain% the% Catalan% people’s% commitment%to%the%right%of%selfVdetermina?on,%dialogue%and%the%search%for%an%agreed% solu?on. % b)%The%other%members%of%the%legi?mate%Government,%led%by%the%ViceVpresident%and%the% head% of% the% 2015% electoral% list% “Junts& Pel& Sí”,% Together& for& Yes,% con?nue% to% be% in% Barcelona% carrying% out% poli?cal% ac?vity% as% legi?mate% ministers% of% the% Government% of% Catalonia.% We% will% not% abandon% the% Catalan% Government,% we% will% con?nue% to% work% despite%the%limita?ons%derived%from%the%nonVconfronta?on%strategy%and%we%will%assume% the%defence%of%the%State's%accusa?ons%in%a%poli?cal%way,%not%legally.%This%means%that%we% will%not%avoid%the%judiciary%cita?ons%and%that%we%will%face%poli?cally%this%severe%injus?ce% raised%by%the%Spanish%government. c)%We%support%the%ini?a?ves%that%have%been%implemented%in%order%to%prevent%Ar?cle% 155%to%be%enforced%and%which%objec?ve%is%to%dismantle%the%Catalan%ins?tu?onal%system.% For%instance,%we%support%the%unions,%organisa?ons%and%Government%officials%who%have% remained%in%their%posi?ons%and%we%ask%them%to%work%in%order%to%avoid%the%demoli?on%of% the% Catalan% ins?tu?onal% system.% I'm% sure% those% ci?zens% who% on% October% 1st% saved% schools%will%now%save%our%ins?tu?ons. d)%Finally,%we%face%the%regional%elec?on%that%the%Spanish%State%has%posed%as%a%democra?c% challenge.%We%are%not%afraid%of%democra?c%challenges,%quite%the%opposite.%If%the%Spanish% State%wants%to%make%a%plebiscite%to%legi?mize%Ar?cle%155%and%its%policies,%we%will%face%it% and% respond% to% them% and% the% en?re% interna?onal% community.% We% totally% agree% that% vo?ng%is%the%way%to%solve%problems,%not%jailing%poli?cians%or%ci?zens,%or%threatening%civil% servants...%The%December%21mX%elec?on%is%a%challenge%we%face%with%all%our%strength.

Today,&from&where&I&stand,&I&pose&a&quesMon&to&everyone:&we&will&respect&the&result&of& the&December&elecMon,&as&we&have&always&done,&whatever&the&result&may&be.&Will&the& Spanish& Government& and& the& 155& PoliMcal& ParMes& block& do& the& same?& This& is& the& quesMon&to&ask:&will&the&result&be&respected&by&them&as&well?

I% want% to% finish,% before% opening% the% floor% to% ques?ons,% with% two% pleas.% One,% to% the% interna?onal%community%and%the%other%to%the%people%of%Catalonia: % To% the% interna?onal% community% and% especially% to% Europe,% I% ask% them% to% react.% The% Catalan%issue%is%at%the%very%basis%of%the%values%on%which%Europe%is%founded:%democracy,% freedom,%freedom%of%expression,%hospitality,%nonVviolence...%Allowing%that%the%Spanish% Government%does%not%dialog,%tolera?ng%the%violence%exercised%by%farVright%groups,%the% imposi?on% by% militarily% means% and% our% imprisonment% for% 30% years,% is% to% end% with% the% idea% of% Europe.% It% is% a% mistake% that% we% can% all% pay,% at% a% very% high% cost,% as% European% ci?zens.

To%the%Catalan%people%I%ask%to%be%prepared%for%a%long%journey.%We%are%in%front%of%a%State% that%only%understands%the%reason%of%force%and%that%has%decided%to%use%the%violence%and% repression%so%that%we%abandon%our%poli?cal%project.%They%will%not%succeed.%Our%victory% will% be% based% in% the% unity% that% we% have% demonstrated% so% far% and% the% common% intelligence% that% has% allowed% us% to% arrive% here% with% pacifism% as% the% only% weapon% and% democracy%as%a%tool%that%makes%us%invincible. I%also%would%like%to%show%my%gra?tude%and%sympathy%for%each%of%the%ministers%of%my% Government,% each% with% their% families% and% children’s% while% facing% poten?al% imprisonment.%The%team%that%is%here%today%and%all%those%who%are%in%Barcelona%deserve% our%highest%gra?tude%for%the%personal%prize%they%are%making.%I%would%like%to%ask%you%to% show%them%your%greatest%support.% Finally%a%last%plea:%we%work%to%make%it%impossible%for%the%PP%PSOE%and%C’s%to%dismantle% the%historic%Catalan%Ins?tu?ons.%We%fight%with%crea?vity%to%keep%the%Ins?tu?ons%alive% and% prevent% Ar?cle% 155.% Preven?ng% the% imposi?on% of% Ar?cle% 155% guarantees% the% legi?mate%Government%of%Catalonia%to%stay%strong%and%con?nue%to%exist.%I%see%the%21st% of%December%elec?ons%in%this%same%logic,%democracy%is%where%we%are%stronger.%We%will% be%present%and%they%will%find%us%there.

Thank%you%very%much%for%your%kind%aeen?on.