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Input: Catalan President Carles Puigdemont signs a declaration of independence at the Catalan regional parliament in Barcelona  Spain  October 10  2017. REUTERS/Albert Gea
In a much-anticipated speech to the Catalan parliament  ringed by thousands of protesters and hundreds of armed police  Carles Puigdemont made only a symbolic declaration  claiming a mandate to launch secession but suspending any formal steps to that end.
One EU official said  Puigdemont  “seems to have listened to advice not to do something irreversible”.
However  the prospects for political talks still appeared remote on Tuesday despite  Puigdemont ’s gesture  with Madrid insisting on talks to be held “within the law”  a phrase that is widely interpreted as ruling out independence as an option.
The Spanish government will meet on Wednesday to decide on its response to  Puigdemont ’s declaration.
Both Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government and European Council President Donald Tusk had urged  Puigdemont  not to proclaim independence. And French President Emmanuel Macron rejected  Puigdemont ’s call for European Union mediation  saying he was confident Madrid could handle the situation.
 Puigdemont  told the Barcelona regional parliament that the result provided a popular mandate for independence and  he  called for talks and reduced tensions.
”We aren’t criminals  nor crazy  nor coup plotters  nor abducted “  he  said. ”We are normal people who ask to be allowed to vote and who have been ready for all the dialogue necessary to achieve it in an agreed way.
“I assume ... the mandate that Catalonia become an independent state in the form of a republic ”  he  said to prolonged applause.
After  Puigdemont ’s speech  stocks around the world rose as Wall Street eked out record highs ahead of earnings season  while U.S. Treasury prices pared gains.
Some analysts  however  said  Puigdemont ’s stance would prolong the uncertainty and risk from the Catalan impasse.
Independence supporters watched  Puigdemont ’s speech on large screens outside the 18th-century parliament building. Initially  people chanted “independence”  cheered and kissed each other  but as it became clear there would be no formal declaration of independence  some people whistled and shook their heads.
Pensioner Marisol Rioja  65  said: “We would have liked more. But he ( Puigdemont ) couldn’t do it.”

Catalonia baulks at formal independence declaration to allow talks