Comments from Europe after the Referendum in Catalonia

Leaders of the European institutions refrain from commenting on the Catalan referendum, confirming the Brussels line for the past few weeks to avoid "Catalonia" questions.

The violence was condemned by the Social Democrat leaders in the European Parliament and the Liberals, noting that the referendum was illegal and invalid, according to NOVA.

"A sad day for Spain and all of Europe, the decision can only be political, not violent," Gianni Pitela, the leader of the left in the EP, accused the Spanish prime minister of failing.

Yuy Verhofstadt, leader of the Liberals, called for deescalation and negotiations, and European Parliament President Antony Tajani stressed that the referendum was illegal.

Speakers of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council Donald Tusk refused to comment.

Most European leaders are still silent, with few exceptions. First, to brake the silence was the Belgian prime minister, condemning the violence. A hundred representatives of the Flemish separatists gathered in front of the Spanish Embassy in Brussels last night, protesting against the violence in Barcelona.

Most European observers interpret the lack of positions as fear that the Catalan example could trigger the domino effect, as in many European countries there are political groups sharing separatist moods.

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