SPAIN is risking “dragging out and worsening an already complex and serious conflict” if it does not address Catalonia’s grievances.

That’s according to Liz Castro, a writer and publisher who is also the former international committee chair of the Catalan National Assembly. She further labelled the Madrid government’s attempts to silence two million Catalans as “ineffective and it is anti-democratic”.

It comes the day after Carles Puigdemont called on Spain to allow him to return to the country for the opening session of the Generalitat de Catalunya so he can become the region’s president.

The ousted Catalan leader remains in self-imposed exile in Belgium and faces charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds if he were to return, and Castro believes that Spain will only soften its stance if the EU intervenes.

“Just this morning the minister of home affairs was saying he was willing to jail the leaders of Junts per Catalunya [JuntsxCat, the party led by Puigdemont and ERC [Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya] just for making pro-independence electoral lists!” she said.

“Spain imposed elections illegally under conditions that were hugely favourable to themselves and they lost. But they would rather double down than admit it.”

Negotiations are now under way between JuntsxCat, ERC and the third pro-independence party, the Candidatura d’Unitat Popular, over forming a coalition government after the three parties collectively secured a two-seat majority in the Catalan parliament.

Castro said she had “no doubts whatsoever” that a new government will be formed, adding that there would not be any resolution with the Spanish government until the people of Catalonia are allowed to express their opinion about their political future.

“Silencing two million people is ineffective and it is anti-democratic,” she said. “And it is wrong.

“By refusing to address Catalan grievances, Spain is dragging out and worsening an already complex and serious conflict, both here and in Europe.

“Spain cannot pay its debt without Catalonia and may drag the whole European community down in an attempt to salvage its pride. Europe should make Spain listen to Catalonia before it is too late.

“A friendly divorce is better than a nasty one,” she added.

Christmas Day saw Puigdemont address the media and call for a resolution to the current situation, starting with allowing him to return to Spain “as soon as possible”.

“I would like to come back right now,” he said. “It would be good news for Spain.”

“If I am not allowed to be sworn in as president, it would be a major abnormality for the Spanish democratic system.

“I am the president of the regional government and I will remain the president if the Spanish state respects the results of the vote.”

Puigdemont, in the wake of last Thursday’s spectacular election result, encouraged Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to engage in dialogue with him. The ousted leader even said he was willing to meet with Rajoy, just not in Spain.

The prime minister’s indicated that he was open to having dialogue but, without addressing the comments of Puigdemont specifically, said that he would speak with whoever was elected president of the new regional parliament.

Meanwhile, the King of Spain, Felipe VI, used his traditional televised Christmas Eve address to call for peace in the region.

“The way forward cannot once again lead to confrontation or exclusion that, as we now know, only generates discord, uncertainty, anguish,” he said.