"It was a mistake, the measures were disproportionate to the situation, the attack was unjustified,” said President Andrzej Duda, referring to the measures taken by the Spanish authorities against participants in the referendum in Catalonia. “Legal measures should have been used, not force,” he added.
During the Sunday referendum, which the Spanish authorities declared illegal, about 900 people were injured in clashes with the police, who tried to prevent the vote by blocking access to polling stations and confiscating ballot boxes and ballots. There was also a confrontation between officers of the Catalan police and the Civil Guard sent to the region by the authorities in Madrid. On Thursday, during a joint press conference with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev visiting Poland, the President was asked for his comments on Spain's reaction to the referendum on Catalonia's independence and on the statement made on Wednesday by the deputy head of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, who said that “it is a duty of every government to uphold the rule of law and this does sometimes require proportionate use of force.”
President Duda: I was a little surprised
“Looking at this dispassionately, from a distance, the problem that Spain faces today in connection with certain demands and expectations of the people of Catalonia [...] I must say that I was a little surprised by the reaction of the Spanish authorities, by the harsh, I would even say brutal attack against the demonstrators, those who wanted to take part in the referendum,” said the President. He pointed out that “as the EC and the Spanish government have been claiming, the referendum was completely illegal and outside the pale of Spanish law,” and would have no legal force, “only political and social significance.” He added that “despite Catalans being beaten and victimized in Barcelona, the referendum took place anyway.” “I believe this was a mistake, and that the measures taken were disproportionate to the situation. Personally, I am surprised by the glib remarks made by the deputy head of the UC, Mr Timmermans, concerning the beaten Spanish citizens, the injured Catalans, the heavy clashes and the aggression of the Spanish police,” said the President. In his view, “the use of violence is dangerous for the Spanish state.” It should have been avoided and “legal measures should have been used, not force,” he added. “I believe the attack on the protesters was unjustified. Weighing carefully my words, I have to say that the remarks made by Mr Timmermans, who claimed that it was permissible to use violence to defend the rule of law, these remarks do not seem to apply to this situation, since in my view, violence is a measure of last resort,” stressed Andrzej Duda. “This is the approach we take in Poland. Apparently, for Mr Timmermans violence is the measure of first resort, which is a significant novelty in the EU, and we will remember this,” said the President. He expressed his hope that any actions concerning Catalonia would respect the law, and that the EU and the EC “would look at the matter in an objective way and that appropriate conclusions would be drawn.”
President Radev: the referendum in Catalonia was a big problem for the EU
Rumen Radev stressed that the referendum in Catalonia was a big problem for the EU. He pointed out that it was necessary to look for its root causes. “The financial and social crisis of 2008 exacerbated social inequalities and strengthened nationalism, which is dangerous for the future of Europe. We should treat the causes, not the symptoms,” said President of Bulgaria. Asked about EU's economic sanctions against Russia, Radev stressed that they were harmful and could not last indefinitely. “We need to find solutions that lead to peace through diplomatic means in a way that does not hurt business.” He noted that sanctions were a pan-European political decision, but that business should not be hurt. He expressed the hope that the sanctions would be lifted.
Źródło: tvn24.pl/tłumaczenie Intertext.com.pl