Luxembourg, Oct 13 (AFP) European Commission PresidentJean-Claude Juncker said today that he doesn't want Cataloniato become independent from Spain because it could trigger aseparatist domino effect in the EU.
"If we allow Catalonia -- though it's not our business --to separate itself from Spain, others will do the same. And Iwouldn't like to have that," Juncker said in a speech tostudents in his native Luxembourg.
"I wouldn't like to have a European Union which consistsof 98 states in 15 years' time. It's already relativelydifficult at 28, no easier at 27 (after Britain leaves), butat 98, that seems impossible."He said he was "very worried" by the growing trend forseparatism across Europe, a threat the EU only narrowly sawoff in 2014 when Scotland voted against independence fromBritain.
Juncker said he had urged Spanish Prime Minister MarianoRajoy to "for a long time take the initiative so that thesituation in Catalonia did not become what it has now."Brussels has insisted the dispute over Catalonia'sindependence referendum is an internal matter for key EUmember Spain, backing Madrid's position that it was illegal,but calling for dialogue.
Juncker added that the EU "cannot involve itself intomediation" as Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has called for,and Madrid has rejected.
"We receive appeals in the most solemn way from all partsof the world: 'Juncker has to mediate'. He will not," he said,adding that it could lead to "considerable distortions in theEuropean Union" if one party wanted mediation and the otherdid not.
Madrid has given Puigdemont until next Thursday toabandon his push for secession, failing which it may triggerunprecedented constitutional steps that could see Madrid takedirect control of the semi-autonomous region.
Puigdemont's separatist allies pressed him today to defyMadrid and declare independence. (AFP)RB.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.