“This is the time of unity, not of divisions, this is the time of dialogue and prudence, not of rash choices. And, to Catalans, I say: stop!”. Gianni Pittella, Socialist and Democratic party leader at the European Parliament, makes an appeal from Strasbourg, “not to step into the abyss of secession”. “We must go back to dialogue – Pittella adds – as the deputy president of the EU Commission, Timmermans, asked”. According to the MEP, a unilateral declaration of independence would be a “serious mistake” after “last Sunday’s illegal referendum”. According to Pittella, instead, “One can be Catalan, Spanish and European, all at the same time”. Then, he does not forget to censure last Sunday’s violence against the citizens: “This crisis should have been managed differently”. Lastly: Catalonia’s demands must be taken into account, “but insofar as they comply with the law and the Spanish Constitution”. He criticises Rajoy and even more the EU Commission, Polish Conservative MEP Antoni Legutko: “The crisis has been awfully managed, hitting at defenceless citizens. The Catalonian citizens’ demand for independence must be taken into account”. According to Liberal Party leader Guy Verhofstadt, who is against any nationalism, “this is the time of democracy, of politics, of dialogue”. He adds: “Secession is not in the interest of Catalonian citizens, the majority of whom are against” becoming independent from Madrid.