PARIS, Oct 9 (Reuters) – France will not recognise Catalonia if the Spanish region unilaterally declares independence, European affairs minister Nathalie Loiseau said on Monday.
“If there were to be a declaration of independence, it would be unilateral, and it would not be recognised,” Loiseau said on CNews television.
Catalonia, which has its own language and culture and is led by a pro-independence regional government, held a referendum on Oct. 1 over secession in defiance of Spain’s constitutional court, which had declared the vote illegal.
“Catalonia cannot be defined by the vote organised by the independence movement just over a week ago,” the French junior minister said. “This crisis needs to be resolved through dialogue at all levels of Spanish politics.”
A hasty decision to recognise independence following such a unilateral declaration would amount to fleeing France’s responsibilities, Loiseau added.
“If independence were to be recognised – which is not something that’s being discussed – the most immediate consequence would be that (Catalonia) automatically left the European Union.” (Reporting by Cyril Camu; Writing by Laurence Frost)
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