‘No EU state will recognise Catalonia’ Brussels turns on Barcelona

Although the region has declared itself an independent country, it will now need international recognition to be counted as a state in its own right.

An EU legal expert believes there is no chance any state in the bloc would recognise Catalonia.

French legal expert Jean-Claude Piris, a former legal advisor to the EU Council, said: “What’s important is recognition by the international community.

“Maybe some countries like North Korea or Venezuela will recognise this independence, but no EU state will.”

France, Germany, the UK, the US and Mexico have all refused to acknowledge Catalan statehood.

The only country considering the move is Finland, after an MP announced plans to trigger a vote on recognising Catalonia.

MP for Lapland Mikko Karna said he intends to submit a motion to the Finnish parliament recognising the region’s independence.

Mr Karna, who is part of the ruling Centre Party, also sent his congratulations to after the regional parliament voted on breaking away from the rest of Spain.

It means Finland could go against the rest of the EU and recognise the fledgling state.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned due to the seismic events in Catalonia.

The events have caused ruptures in the bloc as the EU sides with Spain, much to the disgust of those outraged by the brutality of referendum day, when the civil guard forcibly dragged protesters away from polling stations.

But EU Council President Donald Tusk said for the EU despite the Catalan Parliament voting to break away from Spain.

He said the EU would continue to only speak with Spain as the conflict continues.

A statement from the European Union on October 2 read: “Under the Spanish Constitution, yesterday’s vote in Catalonia was not legal. For the European Commission, as President Juncker has reiterated repeatedly, this is an internal matter for Spain that has to be dealt with in line with the constitutional order of Spain.”

The statement called for dialogue but firmly sided with Spanish authorities over the independence debate.

However an expert on Catalonia told Express.co.uk the EU and put pressure on Spain to get around the negotiating table with the separatists in order to solve the crisis.

Dr Sally-Ann Kitts, senior lecturer in Hispanic and Catalan Studies at the University of Bristol, said it would take “substantial European pressure” to get Mr Rajoy around the negotiating table and Brussels may be forced to intervene.

She said: “I realise the EU is in a very difficult position – although I do think that not condemning the violence was a really big mistake and quite shameful – but nonetheless they have to recognise that .

“Just saying that this is an internal affair is not going to cut it. In the end they need to persuade Rajoy and his government that at some point they do need to sit down and talk.”