Analysts say political and legal obstacles block EU intervention. The European Commission has ducked an appeal by Catalan authorities for mediation in the latest sign of Brussels’ reluctance to intervene in the secession crisis.
The commission said the conflict with Madrid must be resolved in “full respect of the Spanish constitutional order”, knocking back efforts by Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan president, to make the dispute a “European issue”.
Analysts say the consistent line from Brussels reflects legal and political obstacles to its involvement in any battle between an EU member state and a region trying to break away.
