EU again urges dialogue between Spanish govt, Catalan authorities

The EU executive called again on Wednesday for the Spanish government and Catalan authorities to open dialogue to defuse confrontation over calls for Catalonia’s independence. “It’s time to talk,” European Commission’s First Vice President Frans Timmermans told the European Parliament. The EU legislature has opened a debate on the situation, Reuters said. “Respect for the rule of law is not optional, it is fundamental,” said Timmermans, the deputy to the EU’s chief executive, Jean-Claude Juncker.