Catalan President Puigdemont in London: We expected the Spanish president to talk about politics, but he only talked about police

The Catalan President visited Westminster and was interviewed by the Financial Times and Sky News. He said to the last one that "I am a free man, I am a free european citizen. I wake up every day saying:  "This is my last day in exile". My return will mean that Catalonia is a free nation and we are free citizens. That would be good news not only for Catalonia, but also for Spain".

Catalan president Carles Puigdemont yesterday accused Spanish leader Pedro Sánchez of not having "a single positive idea" for Catalonia, and warned that he has little time left to propose a political solution for the conflict over independence.

Speaking at a conference in London’s Frontline Club, Puigdemont doubled down on his criticism of the current Spanish president, who came to power last spring thanks to the votes of pro-independence parties.

Referring to Sánchez’s parliamentary address on Wednesday, in which he notably hardened his tone on Catalonia, Puigdemont said he expected the Spanish president to "talk about politics, but he only talked about police: sending more police to Catalonia in order to continue the repression."

Puigdemont that Catalan national movement "will never renounce the unilateral way to be independent." He suggested that Sánchez’s reluctance to agree on a political solution for Catalonia would open a "new era" in which "unilaterality" could not be ruled out.

Ahead of the trial against independence leaders, in which jailed politicians will face charges of violent rebellion, Puigdemont said the priority for pro-independence parties should be to"strengthen their unity."