Artur Mas, the predecessor of Carles Puigdemont, has said that even if separatists win next months regional election, they should not chase independence until they have solid international backing.
He said: “We can’t take definitive steps until we have solid international allies.
“This is arm wrestling between the Spanish state and the Catalan pro-sovereign camp.
“And to be honest…there’s no winner so far. No hand has touched the table.
“The transition to independence has a cost. This is obvious.
“The dream of many Spanish bureaucrats is that Spain becomes like France, that Madrid becomes like Paris, and that Barcelona becomes just like any second-tier city.
“The independence project has obvious difficulties, but it…essentially depends on the will of the Catalan people.
“In contrast, a negotiation over ‘third ways’ that improve Catalan self-rule depends on the will of the Spanish state. And the key question is: Does such a will exist?”
The President of Catalonia from 2010 to 2016 stated that the European Union’s refusal to accept the region as an independent state “at this stage” adds to the dilemma in the region as he believes this is not something that will change in the short term.
Mr Mas envisions the EU turning into a “United States of Europe” where “there will be no need to be independent…we could be just like Massachusetts.”
Despite the opposition from the bitter bloc, the former president still believes that independence is “possible” and “necessary” for Catalonia “to develop its full potential”.
The 61-year-old believes that Catalonia should have declared independence earlier and that waiting until October 27, almost a month after the vote was held, gave Madrid an opportunity to regain control in the period of chaos.
Mr Mas added that the region’s struggle for independence has not led to any change in behaviour from Madrid with the use of force being deployed to bring the situation under control.
He said: “Instead, the penal code has shown up. The police batons have shown up. The disqualifications have shown up.
“The fines. The personal prosecutions…The jailings…All this has appeared. All this is very real.
“But not a single positive project for the state for Catalonia has appeared. Not a single one. Because there isn’t one.”
Mr Mas’ successor, Carles Puigdemont, launched his campaign for the upcoming Catalan elections on Saturday where he challenged both the EU and Madrid to respect the result and stated that direct rule in the region should cease if the separatists win.
He asked: “Will you accept the results of December 21 if the pro-independence camp wins?
“Do you commit to ending (direct rule) if that is the result?”
A recent poll suggests that separatists have a 50 per cent chance of maintaining their majority of seats in the regional chamber but only stand a 21 per cent chance of taking home more than half of votes cast.
Mr Puigdemont added: “On December 21 we must tell Madrid, the EU and the tripartite support for direct rule that democracy in Catalonia must not be undermined. Never again in Catalonia!”