OREANDA-NEWS The Swedish Government fully supports the efforts taken by the Spanish Government and its institutions to safeguard the constitutional order in Catalonia in accordance with the rule of law and with respect for citizens' rights.

The election to be held in Catalonia on 21 December will hopefully pave the way for a return to the constitutional order and a return to normality.

The unilateral declaration of independence adopted on Friday in the now dissolved Parliament of Catalonia violates the Spanish Constitution and is therefore illegal under Spanish law. As Sweden has already pointed out, the matter of Catalonia's status in Spain is an internal Spanish matter, and a solution must be sought within the framework of the Spanish Constitution.