European values, civil rights, freedom of speech, freedom of informatio,n and freedom of assembly are being violated by Spain's central government.
— Carles Puigdemont
Sometimes one has to take on responsibilities that weren't those one imagined.
I don't want to go to prison... but there is nothing they can do to me that will make me stop this referendum.
The return to normality is a defeat for the terrorists.
With Rajoy, there is a taboo topic, which is the aspiration of Catalonia to decide its future.
To be honest, I am very worried about the possibility of the U.K. leaving the E.U. But of course, like in the case of Catalonia, we have to respect the right to decide of the British people on a relationship that part of the Brits consider is not satisfying enough.
The British people have the right to decide - have the right to decide whether or not they want to be part of the E.U. And I shouldn't interfere in this.
We must have serious dialogue between Catalonia and the Spanish state on a referendum, on independence, and on how a separation from Spain - if that's what the Catalan people choose - would be accomplished.
In 2010, the Spanish constitutional court annulled a large part of the Catalan statute of autonomy negotiated between Catalonia and the previous prime minister, Jose Luis Zapatero. This demolished one of the main agreements achieved during the Spanish transition to democracy - Catalonia's recovery of self-governance.
Catalan citizens are peaceful, European, and open-minded. We want to contribute to better international and European governance.
There's a serious and worrying return to the fall of democracy in Spain, and it's not just us who are realising that.
The independence project in Catalonia is... a peaceful revolution, carried out in suit, shirt, and tie.
What is more important? What the members of a politicised tribunal say, or what the citizens vote for? For me, it is clear.
I think, in Spain, they are too used to reaching the limits of democracy and then stepping over them.
How can we later criticise other countries outside the European Union for adopting such measures to repress opponents when we are tolerating this inside the European Union with European citizens? Like me - I'm a European citizen.
I don't believe there will be anyone who will use violence or who will want to provoke violence that will tarnish the irreproachable image of the Catalan independence movement as pacifist.
In a mature democracy, what is legal is decided by parliament... Our process is legitimised by parliament and by the ballot box.
We show each day that we are prepared to act as an independence state... Not just in exceptional moments.
If you're hungry, you know that you want to eat. You don't know what's on the menu - perhaps it's not your favorite dish - but you will eat.
It's very irresponsible to deny the reality of a problem to see whether it might stop existing.
I express Catalonia's wish of being in the E.U. We'll see what happens.
The welfare of Catalonia is only possible outside of Spain.
Spain's parties must steel themselves to do the sensible thing and treat the Catalonia issue with the seriousness it deserves.
All we want is to carry out the greatest expression of a free democracy and vote on Catalonia's future. This is not about independence: it is about fundamental civil rights and the universal right of self-determination.
We're seeing a reaction - and people taking to the streets with pots and pans - in areas where the independence movement isn't supposed to exist. People have to choose between one model and another. Everyone in Catalonia has realised that not taking part means ratifying the politics of repression of the Spanish government.
There's no alternative to Catalan independence.
Whoever doesn't want to hear our voice needs to see a political otolaryngologist.
I could not disobey the will of the Catalan parliament.
The alternative to independence is decline, because the relationship with the Spanish state is not good; everyone knows that.
To me, the European Union says there is a charter that protects you; you have fundamental rights, and they are staying silent when they are violating my fundamental rights.
As president, I have the right to call a referendum based on a law that the Catalan parliament has approved.
If Madrid does not want an accord, and the majority of Catalans want an independent state, how can you avoid that?
We do not want to turn our back on Spain. It's the opposite. We are convinced that a relationship between equals will improve our relationship.
There is no button that you push and the next day you become independent.
We cannot say no to what has already been approved by the citizens.
Our plan is what the Scottish government had with the U.K. It's an agreement to consult over the independence of Catalonia. And we will not abandon this plan until the end.
The best leaders don't set timid and selfish goals but instead set bold targets that may be harder to achieve.
It is crucial that there is a government in Madrid secure enough to engage with Catalonia politically rather than continue the denial and legal obstructionism of the Rajoy years.
Spain's constitution was introduced to cement democracy after Franco's dictatorship, but this government is exploiting its wording as a means to deny us our right to vote.
A lot of people are angry about the democratic abuses that have been committed by the Spanish government.
Catalan politics emancipated from the Spanish politics on September 27, 2015. Since then, we've acted with a sovereign mentality, political sovereignty.
They are very brave when they talk about other countries where they have no competencies, but where are they when we citizens need them? Is Europe's solution to Catalans to turn its back?
No Catalan citizen and no Catalan company will leave the E.U. That is evident, and nobody can dispute it.
He who calls a person a fascist for opposing independence is not only wrong but putting themselves on the same level as those who call us Nazis for wanting independence.
