The new Spanish Prime Minister resumes dialogue with Catalan separatists

Pedro Sánchez tries not only with the word, but also with the gesture of finding a way out of the troubled relationship between the national government in Madrid and the Catalan separatists. The Spanish Prime Minister put an end to a long radio silence on Monday by the manager Quim Torra at the Government Palace of Moncloa for a conversation of 2.5 hours to receive. Concrete agreements have not yet been reached, but both parties were happy that the dialogue resumed with "an honest, long and useful conversation". The Catalan trade unionists have voiced criticism because their voices have not been heard.

The conversation between Sánchez and Torra had above all a symbolic value. After last week a number of Catalan prisoners were transferred from Madrid to Catalonia, the new head of Spain wanted to show that he, unlike his conservative predecessor Mariano Rajoy, is willing to listen to problems of the Catalans.

Compensation

Torra showed his good will to accept the invitation. However, the rapprochement does not mean that Sánchez will soon respond to the desire of the separatists to continue on their way to an independent Catalonia. Nor can he speak of a regional referendum on this issue. This would give Sánchez electoral losses almost exclusively outside Catalonia.

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The two new leaders have not asked and have not changed an acute opinion on the future of Catalonia. It was agreed that the discussions that were interrupted in 2011 between the state and the region on a law would be resumed.

Prime Minister Sánchez also received an invitation from Torra to be present in Barcelona on August 17 on the occasion of the commemoration of the victims of the attacks a year ago. King Felipe VI is not welcome according to the regional president. The separatists apologize to the head of state for his speech of October 3 in which he stressed with hard words.