Carles Puigdemont Says the Spanish King has Disappointed many Catalans

Madrid, October 5 (RHC)-- Catalonia's leader Carles Puigdemont accused the Spanish king of following the “catastrophic" policies implemented by the country's central government.

King Felipe on Tuesday blamed  the Catalan authorities of attempting to break the "unity of Spain", warning their push for independence risked the nation's social and economic stability.

In a televised address, Puigdemont blasted the king, telling him: “You have disappointed many Catalans.”

He also called Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government "irresponsible" for not accepting mediation in the political crisis.

"I will repeat it as many times as necessary: dialogue and agreement are part of the political culture of our people. However, the state has not given any positive answer to those offers," he said.

The Catalan parliament is expected to declare independence from Spain next Monday after a referendum that the Spanish government and courts have declared illegal.

"I am sure that in the next few days we will show the best of our country when the institutions of Catalonia will have to apply the results of the referendum," Mr Puigdemont said.

Catalan authorities claim that according to preliminary data, 90 percent voted “yes” to independence from Spain. Madrid called mass demonstrations in Catalonia an affront to the rule of law.