The demonstrations held on the streets of Barcelona are full of tense waiting for the judges against the nine Catalan politicians who have been detained since the referendum almost two years ago.

Time is scarce for Prime Minister Sánchez

Spain is still without a new government since the April elections and now Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has less than two weeks to assemble a left-wing government. Otherwise, new elections await.

In the end, it can be the independence parties in Catalonia that become the wave champion.

- Pedro Sánchez does not have an absolute majority, and he knows it. Everyone knows that, says Alfred Bosch, Catalonia's foreign minister.

Politics on everyone's lips

And since 2017, it's no longer football that people talk about, it's mostly politics.

- We are all a little awaiting. What will happen? This must be solved in some way. But without Catalonia, Spain is almost impossible to control. They need support votes from here, says Jord Asín, bar owner.

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Catalonia's National Day was celebrated on the streets of Barcelona on Tuesday. Photo: SVT

On Tuesday, Catalonia's National Day was celebrated, but in Barcelona the independence movement is fragmented and it is not yet clear how to jointly respond to the punishments that the prosecuted leaders are waiting for almost a month.

- This year is a very special year, because there is so much tension. We know they get convicting and nobody likes it. It is tense because we do not have a common strategy now. We have no clear common direction for moving forward, explains Patricia Sarrìas Javier, a national day volunteer who has the word "independence" printed on the sweater.

Not all Catalans participate

But far from all Catalans want to break away from Spain, and among these, few feel welcome in the celebration.

- The current government does not represent Catalonia. It represents the sense of independence. And I am of a different opinion, says Francesc Granell, former head of the Catalonia government and today a debater.

He adds:

- We don't have political prisoners. They are not imprisoned for the sake of their political views, but because they have broken the law. They did not approve of the constitution.