Spanish government says Catalan response not valid - media

MADRID: The response from Catalonia's leader on Monday, in answer to a government requirement to clarify whether he had declared independence, was not valid, Spain's Justice Minister Rafael Catala said on Monday according to Spanish news agency Efe.

Pressure mounted on Catalonia’s leader Sunday ahead of a Madrid-imposed deadline to decide whether to defy international pleas for unity and declare independence or back down and unleash the wrath of his separatist allies.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont failed to clarify his stance on independence and instead said he and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy should meet as soon as possible to start talks over the next two months.

Catalan leader pressured as independence deadline looms

Rajoy had said Puigdemont should answer the formal
requirement with a simple "Yes" or "No" and that any ambiguous
response would be considered a confirmation that a declaration
of independence had been made, paving the way for the central
government to take control of the region and rule it directly. Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria is due to make a statement at 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT).

EU commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has said that Catalan independence would create a domino effect for other secession-seeking regions in the bloc. Separatists argue that Catalonia is shouldering an unfair burden by paying more in Spanish taxes than it gets back.