Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has made his first visit to Catalonia since deposing the regional government to support his Popular Party candidate for President of the Generalitat, Xavier Garcia-Albiol.<br /><br />Rajoy has called for a massive vote from what he called Catalonia’s “silent majority” to put an end to the Catalan struggle, and “restore freedom and democracy”.<br /><br />“We want the December 21st election to have a massive turnout so that a new political stage can be set in motion bringing peace, normality and coexistence, respect for the rules of the game and also of financial recuperation,” said Rajoy.<br /><br />Around 1.300 Popular Party militants took part in this electoral launch, waving Spanish flags to support their leaders. Some believe in a coalition of non-independence parties. <br /><br />“With other non-independence parties we could achieve a result that can avoid the independence path, which makes no sense and is taking us to a complete failure,” said one PP activist. <br /><br />“We had a hard time, really, I think both the pro-independence and anti-independence parties,” said another, “But on the 21December we have to go all out to vote and then we will see what happens,” <br /><br />The pro-independence camp owned the streets of Barcelona on Saturday as they came out in force to march, wave Catalan flags and chant slogans.<br /><br />And in Brussels hundreds of people rallied on Sunday to demand the release of Catalan politicians still held in Spanish prisons after defying Madrid and declaring independence.<br />
