European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned Friday of the danger of "more cracks" opening up in the 28-member bloc following a vote by Catalonia's regional parliament to declare independence from Spain.

The EU "doesn't need any more cracks, more splits," Juncker told journalists while on a trip to French Guiana in South America in a statement that implicitly backed the Spanish government in Madrid.

"We shouldn't insert ourselves into what is an internal debate for Spain, but I wouldn't want the European Union to consist of 95 member states in the future," he added in a warning about the crisis encouraging other secessionist bids.

source: AFP