Former IRA member claims Spanish MEP invokes ‘Ghost of Franco’

The Londonderry Sinn Féin MEP said: “The ghost of General Franco haunts the European Parliament in the form of Vice President Alejo Vidal-Quadras senior MEP of the ruling Spanish Popular Party who, in a television interview, called for armed intervention by the Spanish state against Catalonia.

“In September one and a half million people took to the streets of Barcelona demanding independence for Catalonia. The democratically elected parliament of Catalonia has passed a resolution calling for a referendum on the issue within the next four years.

“The Spanish state should respect the democratic outcome of a referendum on the issue.

“Mr Vidal-Quadras should apologise for his outburst. And the EU institutions should make it abundantly clear to the Spanish government that any attempt at armed intervention in order to frustrate the democratic will of the Catalan people will lead to their isolation in the EU and marginalisation in the international community.”