German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel made his statement hours before the Spanish Government implemented measures to restore the rule of law in Catalonia.
Mr Gabriel told El Pais newspaper: “The people and the economy of Catalonia are restless and every day that the lack of clarity persists, the concern grows and the situation becomes more difficult.”
He then asked the Catalan Government to act “with the necessary clarity” and to show respect to the Spanish Constitution.
He added: “In the interest of all, a solution must now be sought within the framework of the law.
“We support everyone who wants to come to the negotiating table to resolve these issues and reach a stable situation in Catalonia, as well as in Spain.”
The minister, who has been in office since the elections last September 26 in Germany, has offered clear support for Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy.
But he condemned the violence meted out by police towards protesters during the referendum.
He also flagged up the arrest of the leaders of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural.
He said that they were of concern as Spain is a State of law and that the Constitution and laws must be fulfilled by all citizens, “regardless of where in the country they live”.
It is the second time in a few days that a European leader has urged the Catalan authorities to avoid irreversible situations.
Just a few hours before Carles Puigdemont appeared in the Catalan Parliament to explain whether he declared independence on 10 October, European Council President Donald Tusk asked him to respect the constitutional order and not to announce “a decision that would make dialogue impossible”, an indirect reference to independence.
Yesterday, Theresa May told Mr Rajoy that the UK would not recognise an independent Catalonia if the region pulls away.
The Prime Minister said Britain will ignore a unilateral declaration of independence from Catalonia as the referendum was held “without legal basis” and any declaration of independence “would be incompatible with the rule of law”.
Spain announced today that it would suspend the autonomy of the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia over its bid to secede, pitching the euro zone’s fourth-largest economy into uncharted political waters.
Barcelona, the capital of a region which produces a fifth of Spain’s economic output, is now heading for direct rule from Madrid for the first time in Spain’s 40 years of democracy.
Prime Minister Rajoy will hold a cabinet meeting on Saturday at which he will trigger Article 155 of the 1978 constitution, which allows the government to take control of any of the country’s 17 autonomous regions if they break the law.
No national leader has ever activated this measure before, but Mr Rajoy said its use is justified now because Catalonia has fallen foul of the law by pressing ahead with a bid for secession following a banned referendum on October 1.