CATALONIA’s top man in the UK has asked how much more Catalan blood and political prisoners does the EU want to see before it will stand up for the rights of European citizens.

In an exclusive interview with The National, Sergi Marcen, head of the Catalan Delegation to the UK, said it was incredible that the Spanish government would not negotiate with the Catalan administration.

His remarks came after yesterday’s move by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to hold a weekend cabinet meeting to put into place moves to invoke Article 155, to remove autonomous powers from Catalonia.

“I don’t know why the prime minister answered the letter from the President of Catalonia by saying that on Sunday we’ll have a meeting of ministers in Spain to call for Article 155 for next week,” said Marcen.

“I think that’s a big mistake because they’re trying for a political solution using judges and police, in the same way as their last answer [to an earlier letter]. It’s a big mistake because we are open for talks until the last second as we always say, and with no conditions.”

Marcen was also critical of the European Union, which has refused to intervene, claiming it was an internal matter.

There has been only one voice for Catalonia in the EU, that of Slovenian socialists.

The Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, who has seen tensions between its French- and Dutch-speaking regions, spoke out over Spain’s use of force against those who tried to vote in the October 1 referendum: “As a convinced European, I condemn all forms of violence.”

Marcen said: “My question is how much more Catalan blood and how many more Catalan political prisoners will they need to see before the EU will stand up for the rights of European citizens?

“What kind of Europe do we want – the states of Europe or the people of Europe? We believe in the Europe of the people.

“The Catalan problem is not only Catalan, it’s not an internal matter, it’s a European matter and only Belgium has said Mariano Rajoy should sit at the table and negotiate.”

Marcen said Catalans were waiting to see what powers Spain would want to remove from their government, and added: “If the Spanish government goes ahead with Article 155, the Parliament of Catalonia will call for a declaration of independence.

“This week, as you know, we had big fires in Galicia in north-western Spain and the Prime Minister of Spain went there because we had a big problem.

“So why did he go to a fire and not come to Catalonia where we have a political fire that has to be extinguished?

“They are using the Catalan issue because they don’t want the population to talk about the corruption in [Rajoy’s] Partido Popular. They use Catalonia so people will look the other way.”

Marcen said there was no quick end in sight, and added: “At the end of the Catalan issue, we’ll have to talk with the Spanish government. I don’t understand why they want to stop something that in the end we will have to sit and talk.

“I believe they won’t because they want to use the Catalan issue because they want to hide their corruption and the current government.”