Merkel, Macron throw support behind Spain amid Catalan crisis

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron chat before the start of the first day of the European Council in Brussels, Belgium on October 19, 2017. Photo: EPA

Published: 10:17pm, 19 Oct 2017Updated: 10:17pm, 19 Oct 2017

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron voiced strong support for Madrid in the Catalan independence crisis on Thursday, backing the Spanish government’s response to the country’s worst political crisis in decades.

EU leaders gathering for a summit in Brussels closed ranks behind Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, saying the stand-off over Catalonia’s independence drive must be settled within the provisions of Spain’s constitution.

The show of unity comes as Madrid vowed to take back some of the Catalan regional government’s powers and its leader warned he could declare independence, deepening the crisis still further.

“We back the position of the Spanish government,” Merkel said as she arrived for the summit. “We hope there are solutions found on the basis of the Spanish constitution.”

Merkel and Macron enjoying some coffee and biscuits during a bilateral meeting in Brussels on October 19, 2017. Photo: AFP

Brussels has insisted the dispute over Catalonia’s independence referendum is an internal matter for EU member Spain, backing Madrid’s position that the vote was illegal, but calling for dialogue.

France has been outspoken in its support of the Madrid government during the crisis, with Macron charging recently that the separatists were motivated in part by “economic selfishness”.