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Prime Minister Michel (@CharlesMichel),
I have 25 questions about your meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell today.
1. Did you ask Mr. Borrell about the legal basis for Spain's spying on political rivals in other European countries?
catalannews.com/politics/item/…
I have 25 questions about your meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell today.
1. Did you ask Mr. Borrell about the legal basis for Spain's spying on political rivals in other European countries?
catalannews.com/politics/item/…
2. Did you ask Mr. Borrell about if revoking the diplomatic credentials of a Flemish representative (because of statements made by an elected Flemish politician) was in line with the principle of freedom of speech?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
3. Did you ask Mr. Borrell why he mocked and insulted @dw_conflictzone journalist Tim Sebastian when Mr. Sebastian asked difficult questions about Spain's imprisonment of elected Catalan politicians?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
4. Did you ask Mr. Borrell what he meant, exactly, when he said that "Catalan independentism had a lot to do with the Civil War. It's not the first time that Catalan nationalism produces a violent reaction from Spanish nationalism"?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
5. Did you ask Mr. Borrell if saying that Catalan politicians "deliberately violated the law" respects their presumption of innocence?
Did you ask him if he is aware of CoE guidance prohibiting such statements by public officials?
@CharlesMichel
Did you ask him if he is aware of CoE guidance prohibiting such statements by public officials?
@CharlesMichel
6. Did you ask Mr. Borrell if his Government's position on self-determination is still "no is no, never is never". Did you ask what he proposes as an alternative to an independence referendum?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
7. Did you ask Mr. Borrell if he felt that it was appropriate for a public official to say that, under Franco, his imprisoned political rivals wouldn't have been able to "walk around like rock-stars".
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
8. Did you ask Mr. Borrell to clarify his thinking on the principle of parliamentary immunity? Specifically, why he respects the principle in Venezuela, but not in Catalonia (or for Catalan politicians in the Spanish Congress/Senate)?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
9. Did you have the time to ask Mr. Borrell what he meant when he compared dialogue about the right to self-determination with "eating raw children"?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
10. Did you ask Mr. Borrell what he meant when he said "Independentists think that the nation makes the State. I think the opposite: the State makes the nation. A strong State, which imposes its language, its culture, its education."
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
11. Did you ask Mr. Borrell if he felt that his description of the genocide of Native Americans ("all they did was kill 4 Indians") might effect the EU's diplomatic success in areas of the Americas with significant indigenous populations?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
12. Did you ask Mr. Borrell if he felt that insider trading was acceptable?
@CharlesMichel
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
@CharlesMichel
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
13. Did you ask Mr. Borrell to clarify his public display of gratitude to Russia for supporting "Spain's territorial integrity"?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
14. Did you ask Mr. Borrell about police violence on Catalan voters during the 2017 independence referendum (which you yourself condemned, @CharlesMichel) ? Specifically, does he feel that it was a problem, or are just "the images" the problem?
15. Did you ask Mr. Borrell to clarify the cybersecurity agreement he signed with Russia in late 2018?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
16. Did you ask Mr. Borrell if he truly feels that Spain receives more "attacks" and "slander" than other countries? Did you ask him why?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
17. Did you ask Mr. Borrell why he feels the need to defend the actions of the Spanish Judiciary if his branch (the Executive) is truly separate/independent from it? Independent branches of government generally don't "defend" each other...
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
18. Did you ask Mr. Borrell why his Government has had ZERO conversations with the leaders of the two main Catalan independence parties (Puigdemont and Junqueras) since 2017, despite the EU's call for "all relevant players" to dialgoue?
@CharlesMichel
europa.eu/rapid/press-re…
@CharlesMichel
europa.eu/rapid/press-re…
19. Did you ask Mr. Borrell if it his Government's position that the 2014 Scottish independence referendum did not take place?
@CharlesMichel
@CharlesMichel
20. Did you ask Mr. Borrell why he "personally" wants the Catalan prisoners to be freed? If they are violent rebels, they should be in prison, right?
Perhaps Mr. Borrell could explain whether he believes they are violent rebels or not?
@CharlesMichel
Perhaps Mr. Borrell could explain whether he believes they are violent rebels or not?
@CharlesMichel
21. Did you ask Mr. Borrell if he agrees with HRW that police violence during the Catalan independence referendum was not "proportional"? If so, why has his Govt. not taken any action to prosecute those who ordered the police violence?
@CharlesMichel
hrw.org/news/2017/10/1…
@CharlesMichel
hrw.org/news/2017/10/1…
22. Did you ask Mr. Borrell why he insists (always in the name of "separation of powers") on taking no action to protect imprisoned Catalan activists' rights, whereas his Govt. took legal action against other court decisions within hours?
@CharlesMichel
elpais.com/elpais/2018/11…
@CharlesMichel
elpais.com/elpais/2018/11…
23. Did you ask Mr. Borrell about Amnesty's call to "immediately release" Catalan activists Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez from prison?
Does Mr. Borrell disagree with Amnesty that they are wrongfully detained?
@CharlesMichel
amnesty.org/en/latest/news…
Does Mr. Borrell disagree with Amnesty that they are wrongfully detained?
@CharlesMichel
amnesty.org/en/latest/news…
24. Did you ask Mr. Borrell why his government is in favor of (multiple) referendums on political structures for the UK, but not for Catalonia? Does he feel that Catalans are less capable than others of making decisions democratically?
@CharlesMichel
elpais.com/elpais/2018/11…
@CharlesMichel
elpais.com/elpais/2018/11…
25. Did you ask Mr. Borrell how his Government (which has had ZERO conversations with the leaders of the main Catalan independence parties) defines the word "dialogue"? What does "dialogue" mean?
@CharlesMichel
ft.com/content/788321…
@CharlesMichel
ft.com/content/788321…
