Catalan Leader threatens Spanish PM to declare formal independence if no dialogue

In another exchange of letters between the Catalan Leader, Carles Puigdemont, and the president of the Spanish government, Mariano Rajoy, the hard-line stance by the former remains unshakable.

In the formal letter sent to Rajoy, the Catalan president admits that the declaration of independence was not voted in Parliament and remains suspended, however, he warns Rajoy that if he persists in preventing dialogue, the Parliament will declare independence.

In the letter, Puigdemont fails to respond in a concrete manner to the main question asked by the Spanish executive before the latter is forced to apply the article 155. However, the Catalonian government continues to play a game of brinkmanship by which hope is that by maintaining the offer of dialogue without renouncing independence, the international community will step up to the plate as a mediator.