France won’t recognize Catalonia independence declaration - minister

France will not recognize Catalonia if it unilaterally declares independence, European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau has said. “If there were to be a declaration of independence, it would be unilateral, and it would not be recognized,” Loiseau said Monday on CNews television. “Catalonia cannot be defined by the vote organized by the independence movement just over a week ago,” Reuters quoted the junior minister as saying. “This crisis needs to be resolved through dialogue at all levels of Spanish politics.” If independence of this Spanish region “were to be recognized - which is not something that’s being discussed - the most immediate consequence would be that [Catalonia] automatically left the EU,” according to Loiseau.