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The EU Commission faced a barrage of angry questions as it attempted to sidestep the issue of violence by Madrid-backed authorities in suppressing yesterday’s referendum. Its chief spokesman repeatedly refused to be drawn on whether or not EU officials felt the actions of Spanish police were disproportionate, saying he would “not engage in this sort of judgement”. Maragritis Schinas also declined to comment on calls for infringement proceedings being taken against Madrid and tried to distinguish the Catalan case from abuses of Rule of Law in Poland and Hungary.

But he faced a volley of questions from journalists, some of whom were openly astonished at the Commission’s failure to condemn the heavy-handed tactics employed by Spanish police. The ugly images, which were broadcast around the world, will prove an acute embarrassment for the EU and also raise questions over how it can credibly call itself a defender of international human rights. In particular the scandal could damage its flagship global strategy, which aims to promote “European values” like free speech, democracy and the rule of law across the globe.

GETTY There were ugly scenes in Catalonia yesterday

GETTY More than 800 voters were injured in the violence

The founding document for the strategy - a key plank of the EU’s increasing foreign policy ambitions, states: “Consistently living up to our values will determine our external credibility and influence.” Brussels’ failure to openly condemn scenes which included pictures of police officers wielding batons and firing rubber bullet into crowds including pensioners and children sits ill with that aim. Its determination to protect Madrid from the ramifications of police actions may stick in the throat in other parts of the world, where EU officials have been swift to offer condemnation of similar scenes of violence. And Mr Schinas wearily conceded to the world’s press: “As for value judgements and credibility et cetera, you are completely within your rights to make whatever judgements you see fit.” In a statement which failed to identify the culprits for the violence, despite it being overwhelmingly blamed on the authorities, the Commission instead called for dialogue between the two sides.

It said: “Under the Spanish Constitution, yesterday's vote in Catalonia was not legal. For the European Commission, as President Juncker has reiterated repeatedly, this is an internal matter for Spain that has to be dealt with in line with the constitutional order of Spain. “We also reiterate the legal position held by this Commission as well as by its predecessors. If a referendum were to be organised in line with the Spanish Constitution it would mean that the territory leaving would find itself outside of the European Union. “Beyond the purely legal aspects of this matter, the Commission believes that these are times for unity and stability, not divisiveness and fragmentation. We call on all relevant players to now move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue. “Violence can never be an instrument in politics. We trust the leadership of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to manage this difficult process in full respect of the Spanish Constitution and of the fundamental rights of citizens enshrined therein.” Asked specifically whether the Commission had identified who was responsible for the violence, Mr Schinas said: “I don’t have anything to add, subtract, or multiply on the Commission’s statement.”

Spain crisis: Protest outside the Catalan High Court Fri, September 22, 2017 Pro-Independence Associations called for a meeting in front of the Catalan High Court building demanding release of the 14 officials arrested yesterday during a Spanish Police operation in an attempt to stop the region's independence referendum, due to take place on October 1, which has been deemed illegal by the Spanish government in Madrid Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 8 People demonstrate in front of the Catalan High Court building