This morning I woke up worrying again. It was the day Rajoy had demanded an answer from Puigdemont. You see Rajoy hadn’t understood Puigdemont speech and still wasn’t sure if he had declared inde or not. 

He had. And then he suspended it a few seconds later. Calling for dialogue and mediation and a peaceful solution. 

But Rajoy being an authoritarian sort of fellow sent a letter asking for a yes or no answer. By Monday, at 10am by the latest. 

This morning came Puigdemont’s reply.

 ‘Let’s talk’  

Rajoy response, ‘No’ 

And he added ‘ you have till Thursday at 10am to answer me, or else’ 

What would you do in this situation? You need to talk with someone about problems and unfairness in your relationship and they refuse to speak with you or even meet you. You try and you try but after years of this intransigence you decide you must leave altogether. Then the other person wakes up to what they might lose but rather than talking with you about it, they send in the heavies to beat you up and then threaten you with prison. And refuse to let you go.

And still refuse to talk. 

What would you do? 

Puigdemont has impressed me with his calm steadiness. He’s not scared or weakened. He has courage and is mature enough to keep calm when under massive pressure. I find that I trust him. 

Rajoy is pathetic. But he controls the bullie boys, he is willing to do harm, he doesn’t want a resolution but to save his own skin with his voters. 

So what happens next? One of his judges (and Spanish judges are political animals) has imprisoned two of the leaders in the independence movement. Not yet moving in on Puigdemont, they have tried and sentenced Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez. 

That will really calm things down….not!

Tonight there were cassolades all round Catalunya. Popular protest, after dark, banging saucepans, creating a noise. Lasting about 15 minutes. It’s impressive to hear and to do.