BRUSSELS — Police officers in black RoboCop uniforms and Darth Vader helmets blocked ordinary citizens from voting. It is the kind of violence the European Union would ordinarily condemn in high moral terms and even consider punishing. The Catalan situation has put the European Union and its members in an awkward position. The bloc defends the fundamental democratic rights of free speech and free assembly and of individuals to vote. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyBut while the European Union may be a union of democratic states, it is also, first and foremost, a union of sovereign states.

Source: New York Times October 02, 2017 15:16 UTC