STRASBOURG, France. -The European Union reiterated this Wednesday in Strasbourg the result of the independence referendum in Catalonia last Sunday, considered it an internal matter of Spain, and pleaded for the dialogue, while ruling out the mediation of the regional bloc between Catalans and Madrid.

Parliamentarians and representatives of the European Union institutions debated the issue in the Parliament, where they insisted on seeking a peaceful response and advocated for respect law.

The Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, defended the rule of law and the Spanish Constitution, and denied the validity of the Catalan referendum, after which the next declaration of independence was announced.

Representatives of the Greens and the left, condemned the police violence against voters and qualified the European Union as hypocrite, because the answer would be another one if it happened in another country.