Catalan’s regional president Carles Puigdemont has declared Catalonia has won the right to be an independent country, but has called on parliament to suspend the effects of the results of the October 1st referendum to allow for ‘mediation and dialogue’ with the Spanish national government. “I want to follow people’s will for Catalonia to become an independent state,” President Puigdemont told the regional parliament on Tuesday night, but added: “We propose that we commence a dialogue with the Spanish government.” Speaking for around 20 minutes in some detail on the history of the province and the Catalan independence campaign, he condemned police violence but offered conciliation: “I am not planning any threat. Any insults. We are all responsible for this. We need de-escalate the situation, not feed it any longer. I want to address everyone about the issue. “We are all part of the same community and we need to go forward together. We will never agree on everything, but we have proved many times that the only way to move forward is with democracy and peace. That requires dialogue.” The speech is likely to leave both the Spanish national government and separatists dissatisfied, given that independence was not outright declared, but Puigdemont
