Only political dialogue can bring stability to Catalonia - and the EU must help | Iñigo Urkullu
(The Guardian Spain)

I cannot understand or share Madrid´s approach to both Basque autonomy and the Catalan crisiso Iñigo Urkullu is president of the Basque governmentI write this as the democratically elected president of the autonomous Basque region of Spain, as someone who is both strongly pro-Europe and who believes firmly in self-determination, whichever institutional form that takes.The political crisis in Catalonia and how it is resolved will have an impact on the European Union, not just Spain. It highlights the problem of forced integration of a people who have historically expressed a desire for self-governance and voluntary association. This is a political conflict that requires a political solution based on dialogue and negotiation. Such a solution would reconcile reality and realism, legality and legitimacy, and the willingness of regions with different national realities to agree on the terms of their voluntary union.I completely reject the extreme measures taken with regard to Catalan civil society and institutions in the past month Related: How the Catalan crisis could send shockwaves across Europe Continue reading...