• Tweeter

  • republish

The head of the Spanish government, the Socialist Pedro Sánchez. REUTERS / Sergio Perez

This 20th of October was the ninth consecutive night of turmoil and violence in Catalonia, especially in Barcelona. Faced with this situation, the head of the central government Pedro Sánchez is faced with a dilemma: harden his position or be more flexible.

With our correspondent in Madrid, François Musseau

Just three weeks before the general legislative elections, Pedro Sanchez, the head of the Socialist Government, is facing the conflict in Catalonia and all the violence that takes place there. In the coming days, Pedro Sanchez should maintain his strategy of trying to isolate Quim Torra.

The Catalan head of the executive, militant separatist, has tried three times this weekend to initiate a dialogue with Madrid. Without success. Pedro Sanchez first demands his total and unambiguous condemnation of the violence committed by the young radicals. If the pro-independence leader Quim Torra is discredited, the socialist leader will have the good fortune to pose as the man of the situation, both moderate and firm.

But the game is very difficult for Pedro Sanchez anyway. As violence escalates in Barcelona, ​​a good part of the opinion, the media and especially the right-wing parties are asking him to act, to put order in the rebel region. That is to say, as demanded by the right, to put Catalonia under guardianship and dismiss the separatist Quim Torra. For the moment, the head of the government is cautious. Future events will dictate his conduct to more moderation or more firmness.

► See also: Catalonia: those supporters of Spanish unity who no longer want violence