BRUSSELS has responded to the referendum held yesterday (Sunday) in Catalunya, stating it was 'not legal' but condemning the police violence seen in graphic footage of raids on polling stations.
Spokesman for the European Commission Margaritis Schinas said the referendum was an 'in-house issues' which Spain 'needs to resolve in accordance with its Constitution'.
“These are times for unity, not divisiveness,” Sr Schinas stated, calling for both parties – Catalunya and the Spanish government – to open talks.
He said he 'has confidence' in Spanish president Mariano Rajoy to handle this, but that 'violence should never be an instrument of politics'.
Schinas refused to go into detail about his or the Commission's views on the aggressive police actions which have left 893 people injured.
A reporter asked him outright: “What you've read out just now, does it mean the European Commission condemns the violence, or not?”
But Schinas still declined to elaborate.
A message from the European Commission on Twitter reads: “We call on all relevant players to now move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue. Violence can never be an instrument in politics.”
