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EuroNews (10 October 2017)

The message from Catalan’s leader that the region “will be independent but not just yet” was more than enough for some gathered in central Barcelona but it has left others dissatisfied.

Any delay allowing for dialogue has its risks according to some:

“Faced with this uncertainty of what Europe thinks about us (Catalan people), I believe that Mr Puigdemont has been too conciliatory and I believe that he should reconsider,” said one independence supporter.

“I think that it would have been better to declare independence without giving the Spanish government time to apply Article 155 of the Constitution and take control. I believe then that all these demonstrators would be more content,” said another.

(Article 155 is the most extreme measure available to the Madrid government, allowing it to take over the running of an autonomous region, should it declare independence.)

Reporting for euronews, Paco Fuentes found that despite some misgivings the mood among many who never thought this day would come was one of optimism.

“The speech by President Carles Puigdemont has disappointed only those most ‘pro’ of the pro-independence groups. But its high political content has also not been very well understood especially by the young (pro-independence) people.”