Italian President Sergio
Mattarella called for dialogue on Monday, commenting on the
violence that ensued Sunday as Catalonia sought to hold an
independence referendum that the central government in Madrid
opposed.
"In all of Europe in recent days, yesterday in particular, we
saw once again that, when confrontation and the intensification
of positions prevail, positive solutions move further away," the
head of State said during a visit to the Sardinia city of
Cagliari.
"Any positive position becomes more difficult and culture can
provide support for dialogue and discussion that makes it
possible to reach shared solutions".
The European Union has made a "tragic error" by allegedly
washing its hands of the Catalonia referendum issue, Lombardy
Governor Roberto Maroni said Monday.
"The EU is acting like Pontius Pilate and trying to ignore a
very important issue," said Maroni, a leading member of the
once-secessionist Northern League.
Maroni said the League's October 22 illegal informal
consultative referendum on the independence of Lombardy and the
neighbouring Veneto region would be a "very different matter
indeed".
After abandoning secessionist platform, the League under
young leader Matteo Salvini has successful shifted to an
anti-euro, anti-migrant 'patriotic' and sovereignty-linked
stance which is increasingly wooing supporters all across Italy,
including the poorer south which had been traditionally hostile
to the League's message.
Earlier Monday, European Union spokesman Margaritis
Schinas said "violence can never be an instrument in
politics", talking about Catalonia.
Schinas stressed the confidence of European institutions in
the leadership of Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy to manage the
process, calling for a solution of the issue "in the full
respect of the Spanish Constitution and fundamental human
rights".
He refused to elaborate on the statement after reporters
repeatedly asked for a clarification and whether the statement
implied that the European Commission condemned violence in the
aftermath of clashes during Catalonia's controversial
independence referendum.
After several requests for an outright 'condemnation', the
spokesman said he left it to the "interpretation of
journalists".
Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni, for his part, urged dialogue
and respect for the law on the Catalonia referendum.
Speaking at an Italo-Spanish forum in Rome, he said "in total
respect for the laws, of the rule by law and Spanish unitary
Constitution, I hope there is a chance for dialogue, that a
spiral of violence is averted and space be given to politics for
a solution of the problems".
On the one hand, he said, Europe must see itself in the
Spanish Constitution and on the other, it must foster a search
for political solutions, "as friends do".
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