Barcelona's Mayor Ada Colau called on the European Union to intervene in the conflict between the Autonomous Region of Catalonia and the central government in Madrid, reports Bgnes. 

"My duty as a mayor is ... to call on the European Commission to open a space for mediation between the Spanish and Catalan governments in order to reach a negotiated and democratic solution," she wrote in a commentary on the Guardian newspaper.

According to her, Barcelona is looking for a "clash with unpredictable consequences" which, she says, is not desirable by the European partners. Colau herself is against the region's independence, but condemns the behavior of Spain's "uncompromising government" by Prime Minister Mariano Rahoy, which she says has worsened relations with the Catalan authorities. Legal action against the local government will only help to increase social tensions and block any possibility of finding a way out of the conflict, "she said.

"The Spanish government has allowed the Catalan conflict to rise from internal discussion to an European conflict," said Colau, adding that Europe can not remain "passive" on this issue. The Catalan government said it was determined to continue holding the referendum on Sunday for regional independence, despite Madrid's attempts to stop it. This is one of the biggest political crises in Spain since the end of the Franco dictatorship 40 years ago. The referendum also divided the population of the 7.5 million citizens of Catalonia, which is one of the richest Spanish regions and contributes to one fifth of the country's economy.