Politician

As president, I have the right to call a referendum based on a law that the Catalan parliament has approved.

All we want is to carry out the greatest expression of a free democracy and vote on Catalonia's future. This is not about independence: it is about fundamental civil rights and the universal right of self-determination.

It is crucial that there is a government in Madrid secure enough to engage with Catalonia politically rather than continue the denial and legal obstructionism of the Rajoy years.

Catalan politics emancipated from the Spanish politics on September 27, 2015. Since then, we've acted with a sovereign mentality, political sovereignty.

We're seeing a reaction - and people taking to the streets with pots and pans - in areas where the independence movement isn't supposed to exist. People have to choose between one model and another. Everyone in Catalonia has realised that not taking part means ratifying the politics of repression of the Spanish government.

They are very brave when they talk about other countries where they have no competencies, but where are they when we citizens need them? Is Europe's solution to Catalans to turn its back?

The return to normality is a defeat for the terrorists.

European values, civil rights, freedom of speech, freedom of informatio,n and freedom of assembly are being violated by Spain's central government.

We must have serious dialogue between Catalonia and the Spanish state on a referendum, on independence, and on how a separation from Spain - if that's what the Catalan people choose - would be accomplished.

The British people have the right to decide - have the right to decide whether or not they want to be part of the E.U. And I shouldn't interfere in this.

What is more important? What the members of a politicised tribunal say, or what the citizens vote for? For me, it is clear.

The best leaders don't set timid and selfish goals but instead set bold targets that may be harder to achieve.

I think, in Spain, they are too used to reaching the limits of democracy and then stepping over them.

I don't believe there will be anyone who will use violence or who will want to provoke violence that will tarnish the irreproachable image of the Catalan independence movement as pacifist.

With Rajoy, there is a taboo topic, which is the aspiration of Catalonia to decide its future.

Our plan is what the Scottish government had with the U.K. It's an agreement to consult over the independence of Catalonia. And we will not abandon this plan until the end.

The welfare of Catalonia is only possible outside of Spain.

There's a serious and worrying return to the fall of democracy in Spain, and it's not just us who are realising that.

I don't want to go to prison... but there is nothing they can do to me that will make me stop this referendum.

We cannot say no to what has already been approved by the citizens.