Catalonia: Fewer questions, yet still highly sensitive

Why does the EU not defend the right of the Catalans to have a referendum on independence?

A British citizen, 1 March 2018 (Case 101000282527)

Dear Sirs, {...} I cannot understand why there are so many people who want us to be Catalan or Spanish instead of asking all Europe to be this: just the real United States of Europe, like the USA are... {...} Do we believe in Europe? Therefore, why not definitely building it? I feel European and my fear is that nationalisms (Catalan, Spanish or whatever) can break my identity and my beliefs... I feel European since 20 or more years ago. And I cannot understand why there are no politicians who defend this idea... 

A Spanish citizen, 6 February 2018 (Case 101000273780) 

Latest events – e.g. the flight of Carles Puigdemont and his arrest by the German Police, the renouncement of imprisoned separatist Jordi Sanchez to be invested President of the region – triggered a number of European citizens to contact us for questions or interpellations on the political situation.

For the European Commission, as President Juncker has reiterated, this is an internal matter for Spain that has to be dealt with in line with the constitutional order of Spain. Beyond the purely legal aspects of this matter, the Commission believes that these are times for unity and stability, not divisiveness and fragmentation. It called on all relevant players to move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue. Violence can never be an instrument in politics (STATEMENT/17/3626).