I like to think you are a reasonable fellow CV but clearly you are not, full of contradictions.
The EU is a voluntary membership organisation with rules, regulations and high standards. It never has imposed it's will on others other than enforcing laws which nations have signed up to in fairness.
Are you aware that including the EU none of the other 160+ countries in the world have recognised Catalan's bid for independence?
So on one hand you argue the point about UK taking back falsely perceived control and reigning in sovereignty to parliament and here on the Catalan issue you are suggesting EU should in some way step into Spain's parliamentary and constitutional rules!
Of course our UK Parliament is already sovereign clearly shown by the Scottish referendum on independence where the EU was equally silent and held the same position as that for Catalonia. 👍
So what would you like the EU to do:?::?::?:
Both Spain and Cataluña deserve better governance than they are getting. The fact is that both sides have pushed the other into very difficult situations.
Puigdemont has declared independence because he has to appease his coalition knowing, full well, that he has no hope of of achieving it. If he does think it, then he is a bigger fool than I take him for.
Rajoy has no choice but to trigger 155 and keep his fingers crossed that everything wil remain peaceful in the runup to the elections on Dec 21.
One of the main points that I resent about the Independistas is that, by getting into this situation, around 2000 companies have relocated their head offices outside of the region. As a result, whether she stays with Spain, or not, the damage has been done. Cataluña can, no longer, clain that she produces 20% of the nation's economy.
The only friends that the Independistas have outside Spain are the likes of Venezuela and, no way, could she afford to pay pensions, social health and other services without getting the money from Brussels, via Madrid.
My policy, not being able--liked most ordinary people --to do much, except wait, is to go day by day. The first little step toward elections will be Monday, when it is expected that Madrid will make its first moves to dominate the region's services.
The demonstrations that will, probably, take place this weekend will be, I expect, peaceful and ineffectual.