With the trials of Catalonian separatist leaders possibly weeks away, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez refused to say whether he would pardon them, calling the idea "a hypothesis."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/catalonia-quim-torra-name-two-former-ministers-jailed-by-madrid-report-138272">Also Read:&nbsp;New Catalonia President includes jailed, exiled leaders in government</a>

"What I would say to you is that the government doesn't make statements about hypotheses, it makes statements about realities," Sanchez said, as he spoke to reporters in Montreal, Canada, alongside a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Nine separatist Catalonian leaders are accused of crimes including rebellion for their role in last year's banned referendum and a subsequent failed declaration of independence.

The trial could begin as early as October, raising tensions as Sanchez seeks to reach a compromise with the Catalan government.

Sanchez has adopted a softer tone than his predecessor, conservative Mariano Rajoy, and offered to hold a wide-ranging dialogue that could lead to drafting a new statute of autonomy that Catalans would have the opportunity to adopt or reject by referendum.

"I think that the path of justice has its route. The responsibility of the Spanish government is to respond to a political crisis through politics. We know - and I've said it from the first moment that I became president-- that it won't be tomorrow or the day after when we resolve this political crisis but I think we're on the path to achieve it," he said.

Catalonia's new leader, Quim Torra, has dismissed the idea that this could be a way forward and instead called on Sanchez to accept a legally-binding referendum on independence.

Because Sanchez needs Torra's party votes in the national parliament to pass the annual budget bill, a failure to find common ground in Catalonia would likely spill over to national politics in Madrid - and possibly trigger a snap national election sometimes in early 2019.

According to a survey released in July 46.7 per cent of Catalans want their region to become an independent state, while 44.9 per cent oppose this solution-- a number that has remained roughly stable over the past four years.

Catalonia also elected a new regional parliament this year in which separatist forces retained a majority of seats. The trials of jailed separatist leaders should keep the Catalan question at the top of the political agenda for the time being.

With the trials of Catalonian separatist leaders possibly weeks away, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez refused to say whether he would pardon them, calling the idea "a hypothesis.

With the trials of Catalonian separatist leaders possibly weeks away, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez refused to say whether he would pardon them, calling the idea "a hypothesis." Also Read: New Catalonia President includes jailed, exiled leaders in government "What I would say to you is that the government doesn't make statements about hypotheses, it makes statements about realities," Sanchez said, as he spoke to reporters in Montreal, Canada, alongside a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Nine separatist Catalonian leaders are accused of crimes including rebellion for their role in last year's banned referendum and a subsequent failed declaration of independence. The trial could begin as early as October, raising tensions as Sanchez seeks to reach a compromise with the Catalan government. Sanchez has adopted a softer tone than his predecessor, conservative Mariano Rajoy, and offered to hold a wide-ranging dialogue that could lead to drafting a new statute of autonomy that Catalans would have the opportunity to adopt or reject by referendum. "I think that the path of justice has its route. The responsibility of the Spanish government is to respond to a political crisis through politics. We know - and I've said it from the first moment that I became president-- that it won't be tomorrow or the day after when we resolve this political crisis but I think we're on the path to achieve it," he said. Catalonia's new leader, Quim Torra, has dismissed the idea that this could be a way forward and instead called on Sanchez to accept a legally-binding referendum on independence. Because Sanchez needs Torra's party votes in the national parliament to pass the annual budget bill, a failure to find common ground in Catalonia would likely spill over to national politics in Madrid - and possibly trigger a snap national election sometimes in early 2019. According to a survey released in July 46.7 per cent of Catalans want their region to become an independent state, while 44.9 per cent oppose this solution-- a number that has remained roughly stable over the past four years. Catalonia also elected a new regional parliament this year in which separatist forces retained a majority of seats. The trials of jailed separatist leaders should keep the Catalan question at the top of the political agenda for the time being.

Pardon of Catalonian separatists 'a hypothesis': PM Sanchez

By Simon Toubeau and Pere Almeda*

Spain’s new prime minister Pedro Sanchez rose to office against a backdrop of unprecedented drama. But now he could capitalise on the circumstances that landed him the top job to resolve the conflict with Catalonia.

Sanchez successfully ousted his predecessor Mariano Rajoy by passing a motion of no confidence against the Partido Popular government. Seizing on the unique opportunity offered by the sentencing of several prominent PP officials in a long-running corruption trial, the opposition leader moved quickly.

Sanchez needed at least 176 votes but his Socialist party (PSOE) only had 84 seats and Ciudadanos, a centrist-liberal formation with a strong Spanish nationalist rhetoric, wouldn’t endorse a new left-wing government. So, Sanchez needed to muster the support of all other parties in the Spanish parliament. This included the left-wing party Podemos, and several nationalist parties from the Basque country and Catalonia, such as Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC).

At the same time, in Barcelona, Quim Torra – a Catalan nationalist hand-picked by the exiled former president Carles Puigdemont – was elected leader of a new Catalan government. This came after months of protracted negotiations that followed the extraordinary regional elections of December 2017. These were called by the Spanish central government immediately after it suspended the Catalan government for having symbolically issued a unilateral declaration of independence after the referendum held on October 1.

But any hope from Madrid that these elections would quell nationalist fervour backfired. The three parties in favour of Catalan independence (JuntsPerCat, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Candidatura d’Unitat Popular) returned to parliament with a majority (albeit a slim one), determined to pursue their cause, setting them on a collision course with Madrid.

To avert this collision, Sanchez must now make good on the promise he made to his Catalan parliamentary allies to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Catalan government on how to resolve the ongoing conflict. 
The basis of a deal

At the basis of the deal between these parties was the common goal of ousting Rajoy from power. The Catalan parties will offer stability for the Spanish government: support for the continuation of a minority PSOE administration until the end of the legislature in 2020 and support on the party’s economic and social policies.

In exchange, the PSOE will need to make progress dealing with Spain’s unsolved national and territorial conflict since its transition to democracy in the late 1970s.

In the short term, Sanchez must de-escalate the conflict by putting an end to the acrimonious relationship between Spain and Catalonia. That means being willing to listen and to talk. There is already a ring of cautious optimism on that front. Sanchez seems prepared to engage in dialogue – unlike Rajoy.

Then Sanchez must restore the Catalan government’s authority, restoring devolved powers to the regional parliament. He will also have to deal with the trickier matter of the nationalist leaders who were jailed last autumn. This is a fundamental demand among many Catalans, who see them as political prisoners. But it may not be easy for the party to intervene in a judicial process without it looking like obvious political meddling.

In the longer term, Sanchez will need to think creatively about how to engage the Catalan government over Catalonia’s constitutional future within Spain. He will be treading a thin line, either side of which stand staunch opponents. On one side are the dyed-in-the-wool Catalan republicans, who harbour a seemingly irrepressible will to assert Catalonia’s right to decide its future. They will almost certainly demand a new, legally sanctioned referendum on self-determination. On the other side are the defenders of national unity, the PP and Ciudadanos, which may well soon take over the mantle of Spanish nationalism. They hold an equally firm view that any concession on the issue of self-determination is not permissible. That view is shared by an important portion of Spanish public, many of which vote for the PSOE. With a dwindling basis of electoral support, Sanchez can’t afford to alienate them. 
Federal reform

So Sanchez will have to remain committed to accommodating Catalonia within the framework of the constitution. What that eventually looks like will depend on what is made possible by the political coalition that supports reform. One potential strategy available to the PSOE is to (re)capitalise on its ties with the Catalan Socialist Party to reach out to moderate nationalist forces in the Catalan parliament. They could hash out an agreement over potential federal constitutional reform.

At the heart of any reform are two major longstanding demands that will have to be addressed. The Catalan government wants a new fiscal settlement and for Catalonia to be recognised as a distinct nation within Spain. These reforms can be achieved through a revision of Catalonia’s statute of autonomy and would need to be ratified in a referendum by Catalan voters.

National recognition would represent an acknowledgement of Catalans’ sovereignty and their “right to decide” their constitutional future – albeit within the parameters set by the Spanish constitution. A referendum on a new statute could also open the door to a democratic option on independence. However, at this point, that’s unlikely to happen. The main difficulty will be to ensure this new statute can’t be overturned by future judicial challenges that may water it down. 
A narrow chance for success

The deal brokered to support the socialist minority government is still fresh and there isn’t a huge amount of trust between the parties. There’s even some lingering hostility. So while there is a chance to solve the conflict with Catalonia, it’s narrow. The deal may yet break down.

But if parties on all sides are prepared to listen to divergent political views - and if Sanchez’s party can show creative spirit - there is hope that a political change in Spain could bring about a constructive dialogue. That, in time, could form the basis of a renewed relationship between Catalonia and Spain.

(Simon Toubeau is Assistant Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham and Pere Almeda is Adjunct Lecturer, University of Barcelona)

(This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com/global">The Conversation</a>. Read the original <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-a-new-government-in-spain-means-for-catalonia-97724">article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

To avert this collision, Sanchez must now make good on the promise he made to his Catalan parliamentary allies.

By Simon Toubeau and Pere Almeda* Spain’s new prime minister Pedro Sanchez rose to office against a backdrop of unprecedented drama. But now he could capitalise on the circumstances that landed him the top job to resolve the conflict with Catalonia. Sanchez successfully ousted his predecessor Mariano Rajoy by passing a motion of no confidence against the Partido Popular government. Seizing on the unique opportunity offered by the sentencing of several prominent PP officials in a long-running corruption trial, the opposition leader moved quickly. Sanchez needed at least 176 votes but his Socialist party (PSOE) only had 84 seats and Ciudadanos, a centrist-liberal formation with a strong Spanish nationalist rhetoric, wouldn’t endorse a new left-wing government. So, Sanchez needed to muster the support of all other parties in the Spanish parliament. This included the left-wing party Podemos, and several nationalist parties from the Basque country and Catalonia, such as Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC). At the same time, in Barcelona, Quim Torra – a Catalan nationalist hand-picked by the exiled former president Carles Puigdemont – was elected leader of a new Catalan government. This came after months of protracted negotiations that followed the extraordinary regional elections of December 2017. These were called by the Spanish central government immediately after it suspended the Catalan government for having symbolically issued a unilateral declaration of independence after the referendum held on October 1. But any hope from Madrid that these elections would quell nationalist fervour backfired. The three parties in favour of Catalan independence (JuntsPerCat, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Candidatura d’Unitat Popular) returned to parliament with a majority (albeit a slim one), determined to pursue their cause, setting them on a collision course with Madrid. To avert this collision, Sanchez must now make good on the promise he made to his Catalan parliamentary allies to engage in a constructive dialogue with the Catalan government on how to resolve the ongoing conflict. The basis of a deal At the basis of the deal between these parties was the common goal of ousting Rajoy from power. The Catalan parties will offer stability for the Spanish government: support for the continuation of a minority PSOE administration until the end of the legislature in 2020 and support on the party’s economic and social policies. In exchange, the PSOE will need to make progress dealing with Spain’s unsolved national and territorial conflict since its transition to democracy in the late 1970s. In the short term, Sanchez must de-escalate the conflict by putting an end to the acrimonious relationship between Spain and Catalonia. That means being willing to listen and to talk. There is already a ring of cautious optimism on that front. Sanchez seems prepared to engage in dialogue – unlike Rajoy. Then Sanchez must restore the Catalan government’s authority, restoring devolved powers to the regional parliament. He will also have to deal with the trickier matter of the nationalist leaders who were jailed last autumn. This is a fundamental demand among many Catalans, who see them as political prisoners. But it may not be easy for the party to intervene in a judicial process without it looking like obvious political meddling. In the longer term, Sanchez will need to think creatively about how to engage the Catalan government over Catalonia’s constitutional future within Spain. He will be treading a thin line, either side of which stand staunch opponents. On one side are the dyed-in-the-wool Catalan republicans, who harbour a seemingly irrepressible will to assert Catalonia’s right to decide its future. They will almost certainly demand a new, legally sanctioned referendum on self-determination. On the other side are the defenders of national unity, the PP and Ciudadanos, which may well soon take over the mantle of Spanish nationalism. They hold an equally firm view that any concession on the issue of self-determination is not permissible. That view is shared by an important portion of Spanish public, many of which vote for the PSOE. With a dwindling basis of electoral support, Sanchez can’t afford to alienate them. Federal reform So Sanchez will have to remain committed to accommodating Catalonia within the framework of the constitution. What that eventually looks like will depend on what is made possible by the political coalition that supports reform. One potential strategy available to the PSOE is to (re)capitalise on its ties with the Catalan Socialist Party to reach out to moderate nationalist forces in the Catalan parliament. They could hash out an agreement over potential federal constitutional reform. At the heart of any reform are two major longstanding demands that will have to be addressed. The Catalan government wants a new fiscal settlement and for Catalonia to be recognised as a distinct nation within Spain. These reforms can be achieved through a revision of Catalonia’s statute of autonomy and would need to be ratified in a referendum by Catalan voters. National recognition would represent an acknowledgement of Catalans’ sovereignty and their “right to decide” their constitutional future – albeit within the parameters set by the Spanish constitution. A referendum on a new statute could also open the door to a democratic option on independence. However, at this point, that’s unlikely to happen. The main difficulty will be to ensure this new statute can’t be overturned by future judicial challenges that may water it down. A narrow chance for success The deal brokered to support the socialist minority government is still fresh and there isn’t a huge amount of trust between the parties. There’s even some lingering hostility. So while there is a chance to solve the conflict with Catalonia, it’s narrow. The deal may yet break down. But if parties on all sides are prepared to listen to divergent political views - and if Sanchez’s party can show creative spirit - there is hope that a political change in Spain could bring about a constructive dialogue. That, in time, could form the basis of a renewed relationship between Catalonia and Spain. (Simon Toubeau is Assistant Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham and Pere Almeda is Adjunct Lecturer, University of Barcelona) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What a new government in Spain means for Catalonia

Socialist Pedro Sanchez's arrival to power in Spain has brought a glimmer of hope that icy ties will thaw between Madrid and Catalan separatists, who are wary of the new leader but happy that veteran conservative Mariano Rajoy has gone.

It was Catalan separatist lawmakers -- along with Basque nationalists -- who swung the balance in favour of a no-confidence vote brought Friday against Rajoy due to corruption woes afflicting his party.

As opposition leader, 46-year-old economist Sanchez was deeply critical of Catalonia's secession bid last October.

He backed Rajoy's imposition of direct rule on the region after separatist leaders declared Catalan independence.

But he softened his tone as Catalan separatist lawmakers in the national parliament backed his no-confidence motion. He has said he wants to "build bridges" with the new regional separatist government.

The fall of the conservatives in Madrid, along with the start of a new executive in Catalonia, could allow "the situation to improve," says Joan Botella, politics professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Sanchez's speech in parliament was not particularly ambitious where the wealthy divided region is concerned, he says.

But he could profit from divisions within the separatist camp.

The more moderate want to ditch the unilateral route to independence after several separatist leaders were jailed over their role in the secession bid.

Meanwhile radicals like deposed president Carles Puigdemont, who is currently in Germany in self-exile, are in favour of keeping the conflict alive.

Sanchez's swearing-in on Saturday coincided with that of new Catalan president Quim Torra's executive, which automatically triggers the end of direct rule.

"The pro-independence movement is declining, there are internal divisions and with the new government Puigdemont is going to be less important," says Botella.

"So maybe Sanchez will be lucky."

Lesser evil

Things have not gone off to a good start.

Torra, a hardline separatist, criticised for writing tweets or articles deemed offensive to Spaniards, was described by Sanchez as a "racist" and "supremacist."

Sanchez even dubbed Torra the Jean-Marie Le Pen of Spanish politics, referring to the controversial former far-right leader in France.

"The worst insults came from him and people from his (Socialist) party," said a regional presidency source, who wished to remain anonymous.

"We don't have a good opinion at all, but Rajoy was clearly worse. At least he's of fresh disposition, and can defuse the situation and allow some detente."

Since Rajoy came to power in 2011, ties between Madrid and Barcelona have consistently worsened.

The tensions escalated still further in the autumn with police violence during a banned independence referendum on October 1, a subsequent failed proclamation of a republic and the imposition of direct rule.

Even if Sanchez supported Rajoy in his response to the Catalan crisis, generally &nbspspeaking the Socialists have been more attuned to Catalan claims than the conservative Popular Party (PP).

Since 2013, they have called for a federal reform of Spain to give semi-autonomous regions more power and Sanchez has even defined Catalonia as a "nation."

"Even if the PSOE (Socialist party) has tried hard to look like the Popular Party... in Catalonia we know there are differences," Joan Tarda, a lawmaker with the separatist ERC party, said this week in the national parliament.

Little room for manoeuvre

Adding to this, the main supporter of the Socialists in the no-confidence vote was far-left Podemos, which defends the right to hold an independence referendum in Catalonia.

"There could be a change, maybe not substantial but more like an offer for dialogue, the will to reopen channels to find a negotiated solution to the conflict," says Berta Barbet, editor of political analysis website Politikon.

But any concessions to Catalan separatists could be rejected by members of Sanchez's own party, the PP and especially Ciudadanos, the centre-right party that is on the rise in opinion polls for its aggressive anti-independence stance.

"There will be very strong opposition," acknowledges Barbet.

"But if there is a moment when the PSOE could make a different offer to de-escalate the conflict, it's now, because part of Spanish society has realised how important it is to resolve the Catalan issue."

It was Catalan separatist lawmakers -- along with Basque nationalists -- who swung the balance in favour of a no-confidence vote brought Friday against Rajoy due to corruption woes afflicting his party

Socialist Pedro Sanchez's arrival to power in Spain has brought a glimmer of hope that icy ties will thaw between Madrid and Catalan separatists, who are wary of the new leader but happy that veteran conservative Mariano Rajoy has gone. It was Catalan separatist lawmakers -- along with Basque nationalists -- who swung the balance in favour of a no-confidence vote brought Friday against Rajoy due to corruption woes afflicting his party. As opposition leader, 46-year-old economist Sanchez was deeply critical of Catalonia's secession bid last October. He backed Rajoy's imposition of direct rule on the region after separatist leaders declared Catalan independence. But he softened his tone as Catalan separatist lawmakers in the national parliament backed his no-confidence motion. He has said he wants to "build bridges" with the new regional separatist government. The fall of the conservatives in Madrid, along with the start of a new executive in Catalonia, could allow "the situation to improve," says Joan Botella, politics professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Sanchez's speech in parliament was not particularly ambitious where the wealthy divided region is concerned, he says. But he could profit from divisions within the separatist camp. The more moderate want to ditch the unilateral route to independence after several separatist leaders were jailed over their role in the secession bid. Meanwhile radicals like deposed president Carles Puigdemont, who is currently in Germany in self-exile, are in favour of keeping the conflict alive. Sanchez's swearing-in on Saturday coincided with that of new Catalan president Quim Torra's executive, which automatically triggers the end of direct rule. "The pro-independence movement is declining, there are internal divisions and with the new government Puigdemont is going to be less important," says Botella. "So maybe Sanchez will be lucky." Lesser evil Things have not gone off to a good start. Torra, a hardline separatist, criticised for writing tweets or articles deemed offensive to Spaniards, was described by Sanchez as a "racist" and "supremacist." Sanchez even dubbed Torra the Jean-Marie Le Pen of Spanish politics, referring to the controversial former far-right leader in France. "The worst insults came from him and people from his (Socialist) party," said a regional presidency source, who wished to remain anonymous. "We don't have a good opinion at all, but Rajoy was clearly worse. At least he's of fresh disposition, and can defuse the situation and allow some detente." Since Rajoy came to power in 2011, ties between Madrid and Barcelona have consistently worsened. The tensions escalated still further in the autumn with police violence during a banned independence referendum on October 1, a subsequent failed proclamation of a republic and the imposition of direct rule. Even if Sanchez supported Rajoy in his response to the Catalan crisis, generally &nbspspeaking the Socialists have been more attuned to Catalan claims than the conservative Popular Party (PP). Since 2013, they have called for a federal reform of Spain to give semi-autonomous regions more power and Sanchez has even defined Catalonia as a "nation." "Even if the PSOE (Socialist party) has tried hard to look like the Popular Party... in Catalonia we know there are differences," Joan Tarda, a lawmaker with the separatist ERC party, said this week in the national parliament. Little room for manoeuvre Adding to this, the main supporter of the Socialists in the no-confidence vote was far-left Podemos, which defends the right to hold an independence referendum in Catalonia. "There could be a change, maybe not substantial but more like an offer for dialogue, the will to reopen channels to find a negotiated solution to the conflict," says Berta Barbet, editor of political analysis website Politikon. But any concessions to Catalan separatists could be rejected by members of Sanchez's own party, the PP and especially Ciudadanos, the centre-right party that is on the rise in opinion polls for its aggressive anti-independence stance. "There will be very strong opposition," acknowledges Barbet. "But if there is a moment when the PSOE could make a different offer to de-escalate the conflict, it's now, because part of Spanish society has realised how important it is to resolve the Catalan issue."

Small glimmer of hope in Catalan crisis with new Spain PM

German&nbsp;prosecutors&nbsp;said on Tuesday they were preparing an application to extradite&nbsp;former&nbsp;Catalan&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Carles Puigdemont to Spain on charges linked to his role in the campaign for the region's independence.

The higher regional court of the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein is yet to decide on the extradition but said on Tuesday it did not see any reason to put him in custody during the procedure.

Catalonia held a secession referendum on October 1 and then declared independence but Madrid has blocked any attempts at independence in the courts, citing Spain's constitution which says Spain is indivisible.

Spain sacked the regional government following the declaration. Puigdemont, who left Spain for Belgium after being fired, was arrested in March on a Spanish-issued arrest warrant as he entered&nbsp;Germany.

Last month the court rejected an extradition request for Puigdemont on the charge of rebellion for his role in the campaign for the region's independence.

However, it agreed to release him on bail and said extradition to Spain was possible on the lesser charge of misuse of public funds.

Prosecutors&nbsp;challenged the court ruling by saying on Tuesday that extradition on the grounds of the accusation of rebellion was justified because they had new information from Spanish authorities such as videos showing violence against police.

"The riots were on such a scale that the&nbsp;prosecutors&nbsp;think he can be&nbsp;extradited on the accusation of rebellion,"&nbsp;prosecutors&nbsp;said in a statement.

"At the moment the&nbsp;prosecutors&nbsp;are preparing to declare that the extradition of the accused is permissible," they said.

The&nbsp;prosecutors&nbsp;had also applied for Puigdemont to be put in custody prior to extradition. The court said it was unclear when the court would rule on the extradition itself.

German prosecutors said that they were preparing an application to extradite former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to Spain on charges linked to his role in the campaign for the region's independence.

German prosecutors said on Tuesday they were preparing an application to extradite former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to Spain on charges linked to his role in the campaign for the region's independence. The higher regional court of the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein is yet to decide on the extradition but said on Tuesday it did not see any reason to put him in custody during the procedure. Catalonia held a secession referendum on October 1 and then declared independence but Madrid has blocked any attempts at independence in the courts, citing Spain's constitution which says Spain is indivisible. Spain sacked the regional government following the declaration. Puigdemont, who left Spain for Belgium after being fired, was arrested in March on a Spanish-issued arrest warrant as he entered Germany. Last month the court rejected an extradition request for Puigdemont on the charge of rebellion for his role in the campaign for the region's independence. However, it agreed to release him on bail and said extradition to Spain was possible on the lesser charge of misuse of public funds. Prosecutors challenged the court ruling by saying on Tuesday that extradition on the grounds of the accusation of rebellion was justified because they had new information from Spanish authorities such as videos showing violence against police. "The riots were on such a scale that the prosecutors think he can be extradited on the accusation of rebellion," prosecutors said in a statement. "At the moment the prosecutors are preparing to declare that the extradition of the accused is permissible," they said. The prosecutors had also applied for Puigdemont to be put in custody prior to extradition. The court said it was unclear when the court would rule on the extradition itself.

German prosecutors want to extradite former Catalan leader

Catalonia's new president Quim Torra on Saturday named two former ministers, jailed by Madrid for backing independence from Spain, together with two others who fled into exile, to his regional government.

Torra appointed his government by decree but it could still be blocked by Spain, which has insisted his administration be "legal and viable" after it imposed direct rule on the region in October when the then Catalan government declared independence.

Torra named 13 "advisors" to his government, including Jordi Turull and Josep Rull who are currently being held in custody just outside Madrid.

Two others, Toni Comin and Lluis Puig, are in exile in Belgium, where they fled with deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont.&nbsp;

Turull and Rull both accepted their nominations on Twitter.

Torra was elected by the Catalan parliament on Monday and sworn in Thursday, in a move that marks the end of nearly seven months of political limbo in the northeastern Spanish region, which has been under direct rule from Madrid since the central government deposed Puigdemont following a failed declaration of independence on October 27.

Torra, a 55-year-old editor who has long campaigned for independence, described himself as a "caretaker president" as he awaits the return of Puigdemont, whom he considers the "legitimate" leader.&nbsp;

Puigdemont, who first fled to Belgium, was detained in Germany in March after Spain issued a European arrest warrant against him.

Madrid wants him extradited to Spain to try him on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds for staging an independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1 even though the courts had ruled it unconstitutional.

A German court last month dismissed the extradition request for Puigdemont on the rebellion allegations and released him on bail.

Spanish prosecutors have since handed over new information to Germany they hope will prove the use of violence, to justify the rebellion charge and their extradition request.

Quim Torra was sworn in as Catalonia's new leader bringing an end to seven months of direct rule from Madrid but political uncertainty remained same as the hard-line separatist continues his fight to split from Spain

Catalonia's new president Quim Torra on Saturday named two former ministers, jailed by Madrid for backing independence from Spain, together with two others who fled into exile, to his regional government. Torra appointed his government by decree but it could still be blocked by Spain, which has insisted his administration be "legal and viable" after it imposed direct rule on the region in October when the then Catalan government declared independence. Torra named 13 "advisors" to his government, including Jordi Turull and Josep Rull who are currently being held in custody just outside Madrid. Two others, Toni Comin and Lluis Puig, are in exile in Belgium, where they fled with deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont. Turull and Rull both accepted their nominations on Twitter. Torra was elected by the Catalan parliament on Monday and sworn in Thursday, in a move that marks the end of nearly seven months of political limbo in the northeastern Spanish region, which has been under direct rule from Madrid since the central government deposed Puigdemont following a failed declaration of independence on October 27. Torra, a 55-year-old editor who has long campaigned for independence, described himself as a "caretaker president" as he awaits the return of Puigdemont, whom he considers the "legitimate" leader. Puigdemont, who first fled to Belgium, was detained in Germany in March after Spain issued a European arrest warrant against him. Madrid wants him extradited to Spain to try him on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds for staging an independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1 even though the courts had ruled it unconstitutional. A German court last month dismissed the extradition request for Puigdemont on the rebellion allegations and released him on bail. Spanish prosecutors have since handed over new information to Germany they hope will prove the use of violence, to justify the rebellion charge and their extradition request.

New Catalonia President includes jailed, exiled leaders in government

New Catalan leader Quim Torra on Thursday (May 17) was sworn in as Catalonia's new leader bringing an end to seven months of direct rule from Madrid but heralding more political uncertainty as the hard-line separatist continues his fight to split from Spain.

The Catalan parliament voted in Torra on Monday (May 14) by 66 votes to 65 amid accusations of xenophobia from opposition pro-unity parties who reminded the new leader of past tweets and articles where he refers to Spaniards in a negative light, leading Torra to apologise in parliament.

His election was made possible by the abstention of the pro-independence, anti-capitalist party CUP.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy imposed direct rule on the region after the previous administration, led by Carles Puigdemont, declared independence in October.

Under the terms of the legislation, Madrid will lift its intervention once the Catalan government is fully formed and members of cabinet named.

His election was made possible by the abstention of the pro-independence, anti-capitalist party CUP

New Catalan leader Quim Torra on Thursday (May 17) was sworn in as Catalonia's new leader bringing an end to seven months of direct rule from Madrid but heralding more political uncertainty as the hard-line separatist continues his fight to split from Spain. The Catalan parliament voted in Torra on Monday (May 14) by 66 votes to 65 amid accusations of xenophobia from opposition pro-unity parties who reminded the new leader of past tweets and articles where he refers to Spaniards in a negative light, leading Torra to apologise in parliament. His election was made possible by the abstention of the pro-independence, anti-capitalist party CUP. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy imposed direct rule on the region after the previous administration, led by Carles Puigdemont, declared independence in October. Under the terms of the legislation, Madrid will lift its intervention once the Catalan government is fully formed and members of cabinet named.

Quim Torra sworn in as new Catalan leader

Quim Torra, an editor who was appointed Catalan president Monday after being chosen by ousted regional leader Carles Puigdemont as his successor, is a relative newcomer to politics but has long been a staunch separatist.

While the 55-year-old father of three has only been a lawmaker since December, the man Puigdemont named as his preferred candidate to form a regional government is a dyed-in-the-wool independence advocate cut from the same cloth.

"Long live a free Catalonia," he said after scraping through a vote to appoint him in the regional parliament, where he promised to keep fighting for an independent republic.

He acknowledged his was a "provisional" posting while he awaits the return of his "legitimate president-in-exile", Puigdemont, who is currently in Germany waiting for a court decision on whether to extradite him to Spain where he faces jail on rebellion charges.

Labelled Puigdemont's "puppet" by critics, Torra is determined to keep going despite the failure of Catalonia's secession bid last October.

He is not linked to any separatist parties, and as such Puigdemont has chosen "a hardliner... who will only answer to him," says Oriol Bartomeus, politics professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Accused of being a 'supremacist'

After a decade of activism for Catalonia, presiding over groups such as the influential pro-independence Omnium Cultural, Torra was elected a lawmaker in December as part of Puigdemont's list Together for Catalonia.

His warm, polite demeanour contrasts strongly with the tone of some of his past writings or tweets -- as revealed by opposition parties -- which his critics say show he is an "ultranationalist" and "supremacist."

In a series of articles published in online media, for instance, he said it wasn't "natural" to speak Spanish in Catalonia. He also described Spain as "a country that exports misery" and slammed those who don't defend the Catalan language and culture as "scavengers, vipers and hyenas."

He also said a new armed uprising was "necessary," just like the one Francesc Macia, Catalan president from 1931 to 1933, planned in 1926 against the military dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera.

A tweet he posted in 2012 also said: "Spaniards only know how to plunder."

"His ideology is perfectly clear," Ines Arrimadas, the leader in Catalonia of the centre-right, anti-independence Ciudadanos party, said Monday.

"He defends xenophobia, he defends a discriminatory identity."

Torra retorted he was sorry that "some tweets taken out of context, aimed at the state government, may have offended people" -- his third apology since he became a candidate.

Defender of Catalan culture

A native of the Catalan town of Blanes, on the Costa Brava, Torra has been a cultural figure over the last decade.

After a long career with the Swiss insurance firm Winterthur, Torra used a severance package to set up a publishing house in 2008.

There he specialised in reviving texts by Catalan journalists from the civil war and Francisco Franco's dictatorship, which severely repressed Catalonia among other regions.

He soon made a name for himself in Catalan nationalist circles, joining various separatist organisations, including those that helped organise the huge rallies that eventually led to last year's independence push and subsequent political crisis.

Until 2015 he also managed a cultural centre in Barcelona's El Born district which became notorious for pushing for independence.

Torra has said he will adorn the regional government building in central Barcelona with a yellow ribbon, the colour used by separatists to protest on behalf of nine leaders held in jail on rebellion charges.

Quim Torra, an editor who was appointed Catalan president Monday after being chosen by ousted regional leader Carles Puigdemont as his successor

Quim Torra, an editor who was appointed Catalan president Monday after being chosen by ousted regional leader Carles Puigdemont as his successor, is a relative newcomer to politics but has long been a staunch separatist. While the 55-year-old father of three has only been a lawmaker since December, the man Puigdemont named as his preferred candidate to form a regional government is a dyed-in-the-wool independence advocate cut from the same cloth. "Long live a free Catalonia," he said after scraping through a vote to appoint him in the regional parliament, where he promised to keep fighting for an independent republic. He acknowledged his was a "provisional" posting while he awaits the return of his "legitimate president-in-exile", Puigdemont, who is currently in Germany waiting for a court decision on whether to extradite him to Spain where he faces jail on rebellion charges. Labelled Puigdemont's "puppet" by critics, Torra is determined to keep going despite the failure of Catalonia's secession bid last October. He is not linked to any separatist parties, and as such Puigdemont has chosen "a hardliner... who will only answer to him," says Oriol Bartomeus, politics professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Accused of being a 'supremacist' After a decade of activism for Catalonia, presiding over groups such as the influential pro-independence Omnium Cultural, Torra was elected a lawmaker in December as part of Puigdemont's list Together for Catalonia. His warm, polite demeanour contrasts strongly with the tone of some of his past writings or tweets -- as revealed by opposition parties -- which his critics say show he is an "ultranationalist" and "supremacist." In a series of articles published in online media, for instance, he said it wasn't "natural" to speak Spanish in Catalonia. He also described Spain as "a country that exports misery" and slammed those who don't defend the Catalan language and culture as "scavengers, vipers and hyenas." He also said a new armed uprising was "necessary," just like the one Francesc Macia, Catalan president from 1931 to 1933, planned in 1926 against the military dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera. A tweet he posted in 2012 also said: "Spaniards only know how to plunder." "His ideology is perfectly clear," Ines Arrimadas, the leader in Catalonia of the centre-right, anti-independence Ciudadanos party, said Monday. "He defends xenophobia, he defends a discriminatory identity." Torra retorted he was sorry that "some tweets taken out of context, aimed at the state government, may have offended people" -- his third apology since he became a candidate. Defender of Catalan culture A native of the Catalan town of Blanes, on the Costa Brava, Torra has been a cultural figure over the last decade. After a long career with the Swiss insurance firm Winterthur, Torra used a severance package to set up a publishing house in 2008. There he specialised in reviving texts by Catalan journalists from the civil war and Francisco Franco's dictatorship, which severely repressed Catalonia among other regions. He soon made a name for himself in Catalan nationalist circles, joining various separatist organisations, including those that helped organise the huge rallies that eventually led to last year's independence push and subsequent political crisis. Until 2015 he also managed a cultural centre in Barcelona's El Born district which became notorious for pushing for independence. Torra has said he will adorn the regional government building in central Barcelona with a yellow ribbon, the colour used by separatists to protest on behalf of nine leaders held in jail on rebellion charges.

Catalonia's new leader a political rookie well versed in independence

A German court on Thursday rejected an extradition request for Catalonia's former leader Carles Puigdemont on the charge of rebellion for his role in the campaign for the region's independence.

The court agreed to release Puigdemont on bail and said extradition to Spain was possible on the lesser charge of misuse of public funds. The former Catalan leader was arrested last month on a Spanish-issued arrest warrant as he entered Germany.

The ruling means Puigdemont, who fled Spain five months ago for Belgium after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed his regional administration, cannot be tried for rebellion in Spain once extradited on the lesser charge, a German court spokeswoman said.

"The court must now decide if extradition for embezzlement is a possibility," said spokeswoman Frauke Holmer.

"If that is the case, and Mr Puidgemont can be extradited for embezzlement of public money, then a prosecution for rebellion is not possible."

Spain respects the German court's decision, a Spanish government spokeswoman said earlier.

Spain's Supreme Court reactivated international arrest warrants last month for Puigdemont and four other Catalan politicians who went into self-imposed exile last year.

Asked by Reuters whether the German court was correct to say Puigdemont could not now be put on trial for rebellion, neither the Spanish government nor the Supreme Court would comment.

The German court said the rebellion charge Puigdemont faced in Spain was not a criminal offence in Germany, while the violence component that would justify a high treason charge was also lacking.

"The actions for which the subject is being prosecuted would not be criminal under German law," the court spokeswoman said.

The charge of rebellion can bring up to 25 years in prison in Spain.

The German court set bail at 75,000 euros ($92,000). Puigdemont must remain in Germany while extradition proceedings continue and must report weekly to police, the court spokeswoman said.

"There is a risk of flight," the court said in its explanation of its decision to grant bail. "But since extradition on rebellion charges is impermissible, the risk of flight is substantially lessened."

Puigdemont is arranging the transfer of the bail money to Germany, his German lawyer Wolfgang Schomburg told Reuters in a telephone conversation.

"We hope that we can arrange it so that by tomorrow morning he is a free man and can live in Germany in the following days and weeks," he said.

"We seriously hope Spain will be intelligent enough to withdraw the entire European arrest warrant."

Puigdemont entered Germany on his way back from Finland to Belgium, where he had been living in self-imposed exile.

A German court on Thursday rejected an extradition request for Catalonia's former leader Carles Puigdemont on the charge of rebellion for his role in the campaign for the region's independence

A German court on Thursday rejected an extradition request for Catalonia's former leader Carles Puigdemont on the charge of rebellion for his role in the campaign for the region's independence. The court agreed to release Puigdemont on bail and said extradition to Spain was possible on the lesser charge of misuse of public funds. The former Catalan leader was arrested last month on a Spanish-issued arrest warrant as he entered Germany. The ruling means Puigdemont, who fled Spain five months ago for Belgium after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed his regional administration, cannot be tried for rebellion in Spain once extradited on the lesser charge, a German court spokeswoman said. "The court must now decide if extradition for embezzlement is a possibility," said spokeswoman Frauke Holmer. "If that is the case, and Mr Puidgemont can be extradited for embezzlement of public money, then a prosecution for rebellion is not possible." Spain respects the German court's decision, a Spanish government spokeswoman said earlier. Spain's Supreme Court reactivated international arrest warrants last month for Puigdemont and four other Catalan politicians who went into self-imposed exile last year. Asked by Reuters whether the German court was correct to say Puigdemont could not now be put on trial for rebellion, neither the Spanish government nor the Supreme Court would comment. The German court said the rebellion charge Puigdemont faced in Spain was not a criminal offence in Germany, while the violence component that would justify a high treason charge was also lacking. "The actions for which the subject is being prosecuted would not be criminal under German law," the court spokeswoman said. The charge of rebellion can bring up to 25 years in prison in Spain. The German court set bail at 75,000 euros ($92,000). Puigdemont must remain in Germany while extradition proceedings continue and must report weekly to police, the court spokeswoman said. "There is a risk of flight," the court said in its explanation of its decision to grant bail. "But since extradition on rebellion charges is impermissible, the risk of flight is substantially lessened." Puigdemont is arranging the transfer of the bail money to Germany, his German lawyer Wolfgang Schomburg told Reuters in a telephone conversation. "We hope that we can arrange it so that by tomorrow morning he is a free man and can live in Germany in the following days and weeks," he said. "We seriously hope Spain will be intelligent enough to withdraw the entire European arrest warrant." Puigdemont entered Germany on his way back from Finland to Belgium, where he had been living in self-imposed exile.

German court rejects extradition of former Catalan leader on rebellion charge

Increasingly hardline Catalan separatists are taking advantage of the void left by the decapitation of the region's independence movement to step up their protests by blocking roads and clashing with police, raising fears of radicalisation, analysts say.

Spanish authorities have jailed nine Catalan separatist leaders and called for the extradition of six others who have fled abroad, including Catalonia's former president Carles Puigdemont who was arrested Sunday in Germany.

This crackdown on the independence movement's established leaders "generates incentives for the adoption of a hardline" by radical separatists, said Berta Barbet, politics professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

"Since the conflict is increasingly more raw and social divisions are greater, the risk of radicalisation is ever more real," she added.

But Barbet said she did not believe Spain will see a return to the armed violence that plagued the country when Basque separatist group ETA and Catalan nationalist group Terra Lliure were active.

ETA, accused of killing more than 800 people in a decades-long campaign of bombings and shootings to establish an independent Basque state, announced it was disarming in April 2017.

Terra Lliure, which disbanded in 1995, committed its only killing with a bomb attack in 1987. After years of peaceful protests in Catalonia in favour of independence, demonstrations on Sunday against Puigdemont's arrest led to clashes with police that left nearly 100 people injured.

Catalan police decked out in riot gear shoved and hit demonstrators with batons to keep the crowd from advancing on the office of the Madrid government's representative in Barcelona.

Demonstrators set fire to recycling containers and threw glass bottles, cans, and eggs at police.

Despite appeals for calm from some separatist leaders, the protests called by the radical Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR) continued Tuesday with protesters blocking major motorways in the wealthy northeastern region of Spain.

"The Catalan spring has erupted," the group said in a statement on Sunday, in a reference to a series of protests which began in Arab nations in 2011.

"We have crossed the point of no return... we will reappropriate the streets and stop the country," the statement added in a call for a general strike in Catalonia like the ones held late last year when the region's separatist crisis heated up.

During those strikes, demonstrators blocked dozens of roads across Catalonia and forced the closure of key tourist spots such as Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Familia church.The legal action against Catalan separatists "is activating the social movement in the streets again, reinforcing it and making it more tense," said Jordi Amat, the author of several essays on the independence movement.

The failure of Catalonia's unilateral declaration of independence, which led Spain's central government to take direct control of the region in October and launch the crackdown on separatist leaders, has caused the pro-independence movement to change strategy, he added.

Whereas before the goal was to "gain legitimacy internationally", now "the only strategy they can use is destabilisation" of the Spanish state, Amat said.

This explains why Catalan separatist lawmakers, who regained their absolute majority in the Catalan parliament at snap polls in December, keep proposing candidates for regional president who are disqualified by their legal problems such as Puigdemont, he added.

"For many separatists, this destabilisation also should be taken to the streets... there is a will to paralyse the mechanics of the state," Amat said.Catalonia's two main separatist parties, the conservative PDeCAT and the leftist ERC, tried timidly to lower tensions at the end of last year while the smallest separatist party, the far-left CUP, has called for greater disobedience.

The conservative party is under pressure from its leader, Puigdemont, to take a tougher line against Spain while the ERC has been severely shaken up by the jailing of its leader, Oriol Junqueras, and the flight abroad of its number two, Marta Rovira.

"The leaders who could channel the movement have found themselves offside and this is a scenario that allows the CUP to promote its strategy," said Amat.

The CRD organisers of demonstrations are aligned with the CUP party.

Barbet, however, believes that the threat posed by the courts may divert the separatists from a more radical path.

"Virtually everyone in power can end up with serious legal problems and many think twice before making a decision," she said.

That`s why no separatist leader "clearly defends the option of a hard break (with Spain) and in this way, it is very difficult for radicalisation to go very far," she added.

Spanish authorities have jailed nine Catalan separatist leaders and called for the extradition of six others who have fled abroad

Increasingly hardline Catalan separatists are taking advantage of the void left by the decapitation of the region's independence movement to step up their protests by blocking roads and clashing with police, raising fears of radicalisation, analysts say. Spanish authorities have jailed nine Catalan separatist leaders and called for the extradition of six others who have fled abroad, including Catalonia's former president Carles Puigdemont who was arrested Sunday in Germany. This crackdown on the independence movement's established leaders "generates incentives for the adoption of a hardline" by radical separatists, said Berta Barbet, politics professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. "Since the conflict is increasingly more raw and social divisions are greater, the risk of radicalisation is ever more real," she added. But Barbet said she did not believe Spain will see a return to the armed violence that plagued the country when Basque separatist group ETA and Catalan nationalist group Terra Lliure were active. ETA, accused of killing more than 800 people in a decades-long campaign of bombings and shootings to establish an independent Basque state, announced it was disarming in April 2017. Terra Lliure, which disbanded in 1995, committed its only killing with a bomb attack in 1987. After years of peaceful protests in Catalonia in favour of independence, demonstrations on Sunday against Puigdemont's arrest led to clashes with police that left nearly 100 people injured. Catalan police decked out in riot gear shoved and hit demonstrators with batons to keep the crowd from advancing on the office of the Madrid government's representative in Barcelona. Demonstrators set fire to recycling containers and threw glass bottles, cans, and eggs at police. Despite appeals for calm from some separatist leaders, the protests called by the radical Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR) continued Tuesday with protesters blocking major motorways in the wealthy northeastern region of Spain. "The Catalan spring has erupted," the group said in a statement on Sunday, in a reference to a series of protests which began in Arab nations in 2011. "We have crossed the point of no return... we will reappropriate the streets and stop the country," the statement added in a call for a general strike in Catalonia like the ones held late last year when the region's separatist crisis heated up. During those strikes, demonstrators blocked dozens of roads across Catalonia and forced the closure of key tourist spots such as Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Familia church.The legal action against Catalan separatists "is activating the social movement in the streets again, reinforcing it and making it more tense," said Jordi Amat, the author of several essays on the independence movement. The failure of Catalonia's unilateral declaration of independence, which led Spain's central government to take direct control of the region in October and launch the crackdown on separatist leaders, has caused the pro-independence movement to change strategy, he added. Whereas before the goal was to "gain legitimacy internationally", now "the only strategy they can use is destabilisation" of the Spanish state, Amat said. This explains why Catalan separatist lawmakers, who regained their absolute majority in the Catalan parliament at snap polls in December, keep proposing candidates for regional president who are disqualified by their legal problems such as Puigdemont, he added. "For many separatists, this destabilisation also should be taken to the streets... there is a will to paralyse the mechanics of the state," Amat said.Catalonia's two main separatist parties, the conservative PDeCAT and the leftist ERC, tried timidly to lower tensions at the end of last year while the smallest separatist party, the far-left CUP, has called for greater disobedience. The conservative party is under pressure from its leader, Puigdemont, to take a tougher line against Spain while the ERC has been severely shaken up by the jailing of its leader, Oriol Junqueras, and the flight abroad of its number two, Marta Rovira. "The leaders who could channel the movement have found themselves offside and this is a scenario that allows the CUP to promote its strategy," said Amat. The CRD organisers of demonstrations are aligned with the CUP party. Barbet, however, believes that the threat posed by the courts may divert the separatists from a more radical path. "Virtually everyone in power can end up with serious legal problems and many think twice before making a decision," she said. That`s why no separatist leader "clearly defends the option of a hard break (with Spain) and in this way, it is very difficult for radicalisation to go very far," she added.

Catalonia separatist movement risks taking radical path

Catalan academic Clara Ponsati, who is wanted in Spain on charges of rebellion for her role in Catalonia's independence campaign, was granted bail after appearing for an extradition hearing at a Scottish court on Wednesday, the BBC reported.

Earlier Ponsati, a former Catalan education minister who is currently a professor at Scotland's prestigious University of St Andrews, handed herself into police with her lawyer saying she would oppose extradition.

Catalan academic Clara Ponsati, who is wanted in Spain on charges of rebellion for her role in Catalonia's independence campaign, was granted bail after appearing for an extradition hearing at a Scottish court on Wednesday, the BBC reported

Catalan academic Clara Ponsati, who is wanted in Spain on charges of rebellion for her role in Catalonia's independence campaign, was granted bail after appearing for an extradition hearing at a Scottish court on Wednesday, the BBC reported. Earlier Ponsati, a former Catalan education minister who is currently a professor at Scotland's prestigious University of St Andrews, handed herself into police with her lawyer saying she would oppose extradition.

Ex-Catalan minister Ponsati granted bail by Scottish court in extradition case: Report

Fire kills 37 at Siberian shopping mall, scores still missing At least 37 people were killed when a fire ripped through a busy shopping centre in an industrial city in western Siberia, with scores more reported missing, including children. Porn actress talks of Trump affair in interview, says was threatened to keep quiet about it Porn actress Stormy Daniels said she was threatened in a bid to keep her silent about her alleged fling with Donald Trump, which she detailed in a highly-anticipated primetime TV interview today. Shatrughan Sinha meets Lalu Yadav, family calls court verdict against him 'heartbreaking and non-expected' Senior BJP MP from Patna Sahib, Bihar, Shatrughan Sinha who frequently draws controversies over his repeated attacks on his own political party has yet again invited attention after his meet with BJP arch-rival RJD chief Lalu Yadav and his family. PM's flight records cannot be disclosed under RTI due to security reasons: Air India Records pertaining to the Prime Minister's chartered flights for visits abroad cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act due to security concerns as per instructions from the PMO, the national carrier has said in response to an application filed by an activist under the transparency law. Clashes in Catalonia after Puigdemont arrested in Germany Thousands of Catalan separatists faced off with police in Catalonia on Sunday following the arrest in Germany of the region`s former president Carles Puigdemont five months after he fled Spain.

Fire kills 37 at Siberian shopping mall, scores still missing At least 37 people were killed when a fire ripped through a busy shopping centre in an industrial city in western Siberia, with scores more reported missing, including children. Porn actress talks of Trump affair in interview, says was threatened to keep quiet about it Porn actress Stormy Daniels said she was threatened in a bid to keep her silent about her alleged fling with Donald Trump, which she detailed in a highly-anticipated primetime TV interview today. Shatrughan Sinha meets Lalu Yadav, family calls court verdict against him 'heartbreaking and non-expected' Senior BJP MP from Patna Sahib, Bihar, Shatrughan Sinha who frequently draws controversies over his repeated attacks on his own political party has yet again invited attention after his meet with BJP arch-rival RJD chief Lalu Yadav and his family. PM's flight records cannot be disclosed under RTI due to security reasons: Air India Records pertaining to the Prime Minister's chartered flights for visits abroad cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act due to security concerns as per instructions from the PMO, the national carrier has said in response to an application filed by an activist under the transparency law. Clashes in Catalonia after Puigdemont arrested in Germany Thousands of Catalan separatists faced off with police in Catalonia on Sunday following the arrest in Germany of the region`s former president Carles Puigdemont five months after he fled Spain.

WION Morning News Brief, March 26, 2018

German Police, acting on an international arrest warrant issued by Spain on Sunday detained former Catalan secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont in Germany, his lawyer said.

The lawyer, Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, did not say exactly where Puigdemont was in custody in Germany. He said only that Puigdemont, the former Catalan regional president, had been en route to Belgium where he has been living in self-imposed exile since late last year.

&quot;The president was going to Belgium to put himself, as always, at the disposal of Belgian justice,&quot; Joan Maria Pique, Puigdemont&rsquo;s spokesman, told Reuters.

Puigdemont had entered Germany from Denmark after leaving Finland on Friday when it appeared police would arrest him there and launch an extradition process requested by Spain.

Puigdemont faces up to 25 years in prison in Spain on charges of rebellion and sedition for organising an illegal referendum for Catalonia that led to a unilateral declaration of independence in October.

Spanish Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena ruled on Firday that 25 Catalan separatist politicians would face charges of rebellion, embezzlement and disobeying the state for their roles in organising the vote on secession.

German Police, acting on an international arrest warrant issued by Spain on Sunday detained the former Catalan secessionist leader in Germany

German Police, acting on an international arrest warrant issued by Spain on Sunday detained former Catalan secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont in Germany, his lawyer said. The lawyer, Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, did not say exactly where Puigdemont was in custody in Germany. He said only that Puigdemont, the former Catalan regional president, had been en route to Belgium where he has been living in self-imposed exile since late last year. "The president was going to Belgium to put himself, as always, at the disposal of Belgian justice," Joan Maria Pique, Puigdemont’s spokesman, told Reuters. Puigdemont had entered Germany from Denmark after leaving Finland on Friday when it appeared police would arrest him there and launch an extradition process requested by Spain. Puigdemont faces up to 25 years in prison in Spain on charges of rebellion and sedition for organising an illegal referendum for Catalonia that led to a unilateral declaration of independence in October. Spanish Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena ruled on Firday that 25 Catalan separatist politicians would face charges of rebellion, embezzlement and disobeying the state for their roles in organising the vote on secession.

Former Catalan leader Puigdemont detained in Germany

Catalonia-born Pep Guardiola, who wore a yellow ribbon on his grey jumper in the post-match press conference at Wembley defended his intent to wear a yellow ribbon in support of jailed Catalan independence leaders after his side beat Arsenal 3-0 to win the League Cup final on Sunday.

The Football Association on Friday charged Guardiola, saying the symbol sported by the former Barcelona boss on his jacket broke its rules.

Former Barcelona coach said, &quot;Before I&#39;m a manager I&#39;m a human being. I am a person.&quot;

He mentioned Britain&#39;s exit from European Union and said, &quot;You did the Brexit you let the people make an opinion. You allowed Scotland to make a referendum about if they want to stay or not and after the people voted. That is what they are asking.&quot;

Guardiola sympathised with the jailed Catalan leader and said, &quot;They are in prevention jail right now. So go out and after maybe be judged okay but they are (in jail) for more than 145 days. You know everybody is innocent until the judge proves you are guilty and they aren&#39;t being judged.&quot;

Guardiola was charged by the FA for wearing a political message.

The Football Association on Friday charged Guardiola, saying the symbol sported by the former Barcelona boss on his jacket broke its rules

Catalonia-born Pep Guardiola, who wore a yellow ribbon on his grey jumper in the post-match press conference at Wembley defended his intent to wear a yellow ribbon in support of jailed Catalan independence leaders after his side beat Arsenal 3-0 to win the League Cup final on Sunday. The Football Association on Friday charged Guardiola, saying the symbol sported by the former Barcelona boss on his jacket broke its rules. Former Barcelona coach said, "Before I'm a manager I'm a human being. I am a person." He mentioned Britain's exit from European Union and said, "You did the Brexit you let the people make an opinion. You allowed Scotland to make a referendum about if they want to stay or not and after the people voted. That is what they are asking." Guardiola sympathised with the jailed Catalan leader and said, "They are in prevention jail right now. So go out and after maybe be judged okay but they are (in jail) for more than 145 days. You know everybody is innocent until the judge proves you are guilty and they aren't being judged." Guardiola was charged by the FA for wearing a political message.

Pep Guardiola defends wearing Catalan support ribbon

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bypoll-result-congress-sweeps-rajasthan-bypolls-setback-for-rajes-bjp-31496">Bypoll results: Congress sweeps Rajasthan, setback for Raje&#39;s BJP</a>

The Congress on Thursday won an assembly seat in Rajasthan and had a major victory in two parliamentary bypolls.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/budget-2018-fancy-schemes-with-no-matching-budgets-says-rahul-gandhi-31499">Budget 2018: Fancy schemes, with no &#39;matching budgets&#39;, says Rahul Gandhi</a>

Even as the budget debates on television screens continued, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took Twitter to express his take on the budget and described it as nothing but &#39;fancy schemes&#39;, with no &#39;matching budgets&#39;.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/top-takeaways-from-union-budget-2018-31457">Top takeaways from Union Budget 2018</a>

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday presented Budget 2018, the Narendra Modi government&rsquo;s last full budget before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-adopts-roster-system-for-allocation-of-matters-cji-keeps-31488">Supreme Court adopts roster system for allocation of matters, CJI keeps</a>

The Supreme Court today adopted a roster system for the allocation of matters to judges with Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra deciding to keep to himself the public interest litigation (PIL) cases.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/three-jailed-catalan-leaders-appeal-to-un-panel-lawyers-31497">Three jailed Catalan leaders appeal to UN panel: lawyers</a>

Three Catalan leaders imprisoned in Spain over their role in their region&#39;s independence crisis will take their case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, their lawyers in London said on Thursday.

Bypoll results: Congress sweeps Rajasthan, setback for Raje's BJP The Congress on Thursday won an assembly seat in Rajasthan and had a major victory in two parliamentary bypolls. Budget 2018: Fancy schemes, with no 'matching budgets', says Rahul Gandhi Even as the budget debates on television screens continued, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took Twitter to express his take on the budget and described it as nothing but 'fancy schemes', with no 'matching budgets'. Top takeaways from Union Budget 2018 Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday presented Budget 2018, the Narendra Modi government’s last full budget before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Supreme Court adopts roster system for allocation of matters, CJI keeps The Supreme Court today adopted a roster system for the allocation of matters to judges with Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra deciding to keep to himself the public interest litigation (PIL) cases. Three jailed Catalan leaders appeal to UN panel: lawyers Three Catalan leaders imprisoned in Spain over their role in their region's independence crisis will take their case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, their lawyers in London said on Thursday.

WION Evening News Brief, February 1, 2018

Gerard Pique has signed a new contract&nbsp;with FC Barcelona on Monday.

The defender and the club agreed to extend Pique&#39;s contract until 2022 when he will turn 35-year-old.

&quot;Since I have arrived here, I can say every year I have won a title, and that we have always competed until the end, and that&#39;s the most important thing,&quot; said the Spaniard.

&quot;In the future, I hope we remain competitive until I retire,&quot; he added.

&quot;I just don&rsquo;t have the motivation to pull on another jersey.

&quot;I&rsquo;m still playing football because I play for Barca. If I was playing for another club the likelihood is that I would quit.&quot;

He has an emotional&nbsp;connect with the region and has taken active participation in Catalonia&#39;s independence movement.

Pique joined La Masia in 1997 at the age of 10-year-old but moved to Old Trafford in 2004.

He rejoined his boyhood club in 2008.

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???????????? The best of <a href="https://twitter.com/3gerardpique?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@3gerardpique</a>&#39;s contract renewal... 
➡️ <a href="https://t.co/M9nCUW6We9">https://t.co/M9nCUW6We9</a> ⬅️ 
???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Piqu%C3%A92022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Piqu&eacute;2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/sQub2tzwGZ">pic.twitter.com/sQub2tzwGZ</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/958151581597396992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Since then, he has won three Champion Leagues titles, six La Liga, five Copa del Rey, five Spanish Supercopas, two European Supercups, and three Club World Cups in Barcelona.

The defender, who will turn 31-year-old on Friday (2nd February), also won 2010 World Cup, and 2012 European Championship with Spain.

&nbsp;

The defender and the club agreed to extend Pique's contract until 2022

Gerard Pique has signed a new contract with FC Barcelona on Monday. The defender and the club agreed to extend Pique's contract until 2022 when he will turn 35-year-old. "Since I have arrived here, I can say every year I have won a title, and that we have always competed until the end, and that's the most important thing," said the Spaniard. "In the future, I hope we remain competitive until I retire," he added. "I just don’t have the motivation to pull on another jersey. "I’m still playing football because I play for Barca. If I was playing for another club the likelihood is that I would quit." He has an emotional connect with the region and has taken active participation in Catalonia's independence movement. Pique joined La Masia in 1997 at the age of 10-year-old but moved to Old Trafford in 2004. He rejoined his boyhood club in 2008. ???????????? The best of @3gerardpique's contract renewal... ➡️ https://t.co/M9nCUW6We9 ⬅️ ???????? #Piqué2022 pic.twitter.com/sQub2tzwGZ — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 30, 2018 × Since then, he has won three Champion Leagues titles, six La Liga, five Copa del Rey, five Spanish Supercopas, two European Supercups, and three Club World Cups in Barcelona. The defender, who will turn 31-year-old on Friday (2nd February), also won 2010 World Cup, and 2012 European Championship with Spain.

Gerard Pique extends contract until 2022

The sacked former leader of Catalonia said on Friday he was perfectly eligible to be re-elected as regional president and there was no reason why he couldn&#39;t rule the Spanish region remotely from self-imposed exile in Brussels.

Supporters of Carles Puigdemont, who faces arrest for charges including sedition and rebellion if he returns to Spain, have suggested he could rule via video link -- earning him the sobriquet &#39;the hologram president&#39; from detractors.

&quot;I am a member of parliament who is perfectly eligible as president,&quot; Puigdemont told Catalunya Radio. &quot;These days many big projects are handled with the use of new technologies.&quot;

Referring to the charges against him, he added: &quot;You can&#39;t rule from prison.&quot;

Puigdemont&#39;s administration was dismissed by the central government in Madrid after he spearheaded a drive for the wealthy northeastern region to split from Spain that culminated in an October declaration of independence.

He regained his seat in the Catalan parliament in a December 21 election that was called by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in the hope that pro-unity parties would win and resolve Spain&#39;s worst political crisis in decades. That ploy backfired, with parties in favour of a split gaining a slim majority.

Puigdemont moved to Brussels shortly after he was fired by Madrid but has said he would return to Catalonia if the Spanish government gave him certain &quot;guarantees&quot;, probably a promise not to arrest him.

Other Catalan independence leaders including Oriol Junqueras, leader of the second-biggest separatist party in the regional parliament, are serving custodial sentences in Madrid for their roles in planning a banned independence referendum.

Uncertainty over the future of the region, which hosts Spain&#39;s second-biggest city Barcelona and world-class factories for global brands like Volkswagen and Nestle, spooked investors and led to thousands of companies moving their registered headquarters elsewhere in Spain.

The Catalan parliamentary committee, which has a pro-independence majority, must decide by Jan. 31 if it will allow presidential candidates to present remotely. Madrid has said it will contest any such decision in the courts.

Puigdemont would not clarify in Friday&#39;s radio interview whether he would continue with plans to unilaterally construct an independent republic if elected regional president. But he said he planned to restore the previous administration.

&quot;There is no plan B: plan A is restoration because that is what the people have entrusted us with.

Supporters of Carles Puigdemont, who faces arrest for charges including sedition and rebellion if he returns to Spain, have suggested he could rule via video link -- earning him the sobriquet 'the hologram president' from detractors

The sacked former leader of Catalonia said on Friday he was perfectly eligible to be re-elected as regional president and there was no reason why he couldn't rule the Spanish region remotely from self-imposed exile in Brussels. Supporters of Carles Puigdemont, who faces arrest for charges including sedition and rebellion if he returns to Spain, have suggested he could rule via video link -- earning him the sobriquet 'the hologram president' from detractors. "I am a member of parliament who is perfectly eligible as president," Puigdemont told Catalunya Radio. "These days many big projects are handled with the use of new technologies." Referring to the charges against him, he added: "You can't rule from prison." Puigdemont's administration was dismissed by the central government in Madrid after he spearheaded a drive for the wealthy northeastern region to split from Spain that culminated in an October declaration of independence. He regained his seat in the Catalan parliament in a December 21 election that was called by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in the hope that pro-unity parties would win and resolve Spain's worst political crisis in decades. That ploy backfired, with parties in favour of a split gaining a slim majority. Puigdemont moved to Brussels shortly after he was fired by Madrid but has said he would return to Catalonia if the Spanish government gave him certain "guarantees", probably a promise not to arrest him. Other Catalan independence leaders including Oriol Junqueras, leader of the second-biggest separatist party in the regional parliament, are serving custodial sentences in Madrid for their roles in planning a banned independence referendum. Uncertainty over the future of the region, which hosts Spain's second-biggest city Barcelona and world-class factories for global brands like Volkswagen and Nestle, spooked investors and led to thousands of companies moving their registered headquarters elsewhere in Spain. The Catalan parliamentary committee, which has a pro-independence majority, must decide by Jan. 31 if it will allow presidential candidates to present remotely. Madrid has said it will contest any such decision in the courts. Puigdemont would not clarify in Friday's radio interview whether he would continue with plans to unilaterally construct an independent republic if elected regional president. But he said he planned to restore the previous administration. "There is no plan B: plan A is restoration because that is what the people have entrusted us with.

No reason why I can't rule Catalonia remotely, former leader says

The new pro-independence speaker of Catalonia&#39;s parliament on Thursday started meeting party representatives to pick a regional president, with exiled former leader Carles Puigdemont in the lead for the post.

The central government in Madrid has already warned it will keep direct control over Catalonia if Puigdemont tries to govern from Belgium, where he and other ousted ministers fled after declaring independence from Spain in October.

On Wednesday, the region&#39;s separatist block regained control of the Catalan parliament following the assembly&#39;s dissolution on October 27 by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in response to the breakaway attempt.

Fresh from a victory in December elections that gave them an absolute majority in parliament, separatist lawmakers elected Roger Torrent of the left-wing, pro-independence ERC party as speaker.

Four out of seven of his deputies are also pro-independence.

Their next step is to regain control of the government with Puigdemont as their leader.

Torrent, 38, who gave a conciliatory first parliamentary speech on Wednesday, is holding talks with all the different assembly groups to designate the candidate with most support.

He was due to meet Thursday with the Socialists, who oppose independence, and Catalunya en Comu, the Catalan allies of far-left party Podemos, who are also against Puigdemont as candidate.

Puigdemont&#39;s Together for Catalonia list won the most votes in December within the separatist bloc, but he is in Brussels in self-imposed exile after escaping just days after the regional parliament declared independence.

He risks arrest on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds for his role in the failed independence bid if he comes back to Spain.

He wants to present his candidacy and government programme to parliament -- a prerequisite to being voted in -- remotely via videolink or by having someone else read it for him.

The Catalan parliament&#39;s legal experts, however, say the contender has to be physically present and Madrid has vowed to block him.

But the final say lies in Torrent and his deputies, who will ultimately decide whether or not to allow it.

Last week, Torrent hinted that he would follow what the parliament&#39;s legal experts said.

But his ERC party has said it will support Puigdemont as president.

The central government in Madrid has already warned it will keep direct control over Catalonia

The new pro-independence speaker of Catalonia's parliament on Thursday started meeting party representatives to pick a regional president, with exiled former leader Carles Puigdemont in the lead for the post. The central government in Madrid has already warned it will keep direct control over Catalonia if Puigdemont tries to govern from Belgium, where he and other ousted ministers fled after declaring independence from Spain in October. On Wednesday, the region's separatist block regained control of the Catalan parliament following the assembly's dissolution on October 27 by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in response to the breakaway attempt. Fresh from a victory in December elections that gave them an absolute majority in parliament, separatist lawmakers elected Roger Torrent of the left-wing, pro-independence ERC party as speaker. Four out of seven of his deputies are also pro-independence. Their next step is to regain control of the government with Puigdemont as their leader. Torrent, 38, who gave a conciliatory first parliamentary speech on Wednesday, is holding talks with all the different assembly groups to designate the candidate with most support. He was due to meet Thursday with the Socialists, who oppose independence, and Catalunya en Comu, the Catalan allies of far-left party Podemos, who are also against Puigdemont as candidate. Puigdemont's Together for Catalonia list won the most votes in December within the separatist bloc, but he is in Brussels in self-imposed exile after escaping just days after the regional parliament declared independence. He risks arrest on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds for his role in the failed independence bid if he comes back to Spain. He wants to present his candidacy and government programme to parliament -- a prerequisite to being voted in -- remotely via videolink or by having someone else read it for him. The Catalan parliament's legal experts, however, say the contender has to be physically present and Madrid has vowed to block him. But the final say lies in Torrent and his deputies, who will ultimately decide whether or not to allow it. Last week, Torrent hinted that he would follow what the parliament's legal experts said. But his ERC party has said it will support Puigdemont as president.

Talks underway in Catalonia to pick regional leader

A clause in Lionel Messi&#39;s contract has ensured that he could become a free agent if Barcelona no longer plays in a major European league as a result of Catalan independence.

According to a report, the contract Messi signed last November includes a clause that he must remain a Barcelona player only as long as the club is playing in &quot;a top-level European league.&quot;

A source at Barcelona told AFP that &quot;for reasons of confidentiality the club never comments on contractual relations with players.&quot;

Catalonia with the population of 7.5 million and history of over 1000 years old had voted in favour of its exit from Spain.

Catalonian nationalists proclaimed independence from Spain after a referendum on October 1, precipitating a crisis which is still unresolved.&nbsp;More than 90&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;population had voted for independence.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/will-fc-barcelona-exit-spanish-football-league-21270">Will FC Barcelona exit Spanish football league?</a>

The Spanish civil and football authorities have said repeatedly that Catalan secession would end the participation of the region&#39;s clubs in the Spanish League.&nbsp;After the separation of Catalonia from Spain, the club may shut down.

If Catalonia becomes independent and Barcelona are booted out of La Liga and cannot persuade another major league (France, Italy, Germany or England) to give them a home, Messi could leave without having to pay his 700 million euro ($843 million).

Catalans have everything they need to flourish as an independent nation. A state which has its own police and parliament, amazing infrastructure and rich as well as varied heritage. Almost everything that is necessary for a country to get along with other developing nation.

But, when it comes to football, Catalonia may suffer a lot after its separation from Spain. Likewise whole Europe, Catalans also has undying madness for football. FC Barcelona holds a very important place in Spanish football leagues. Laliga,&nbsp;the most important of the Spanish league, will be incomplete without FC Barcelona.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The contract Messi signed last November includes a clause that he must remain a Barcelona player only as long as the club is playing in 'a top-level European league'

A clause in Lionel Messi's contract has ensured that he could become a free agent if Barcelona no longer plays in a major European league as a result of Catalan independence. According to a report, the contract Messi signed last November includes a clause that he must remain a Barcelona player only as long as the club is playing in "a top-level European league." A source at Barcelona told AFP that "for reasons of confidentiality the club never comments on contractual relations with players." Catalonia with the population of 7.5 million and history of over 1000 years old had voted in favour of its exit from Spain. Catalonian nationalists proclaimed independence from Spain after a referendum on October 1, precipitating a crisis which is still unresolved. More than 90 per cent population had voted for independence. Also read: Will FC Barcelona exit Spanish football league? The Spanish civil and football authorities have said repeatedly that Catalan secession would end the participation of the region's clubs in the Spanish League. After the separation of Catalonia from Spain, the club may shut down. If Catalonia becomes independent and Barcelona are booted out of La Liga and cannot persuade another major league (France, Italy, Germany or England) to give them a home, Messi could leave without having to pay his 700 million euro ($843 million). Catalans have everything they need to flourish as an independent nation. A state which has its own police and parliament, amazing infrastructure and rich as well as varied heritage. Almost everything that is necessary for a country to get along with other developing nation. But, when it comes to football, Catalonia may suffer a lot after its separation from Spain. Likewise whole Europe, Catalans also has undying madness for football. FC Barcelona holds a very important place in Spanish football leagues. Laliga, the most important of the Spanish league, will be incomplete without FC Barcelona.

Barcelona's Messi to become 'free agent', if Catalonia exit Spain

The wait is over, Catalonia&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/puigdemont-celebrates-as-catalan-separatists-win-election-27417">three pro-independence parties including </a>that of exiled leader Carles Puigdemont have together won 70 seats out of 135 in the snap polls in the Catalan elections.

However, the big question remains whether the new government in Spain&#39;s richest province will now separate from Spain. Experts say not quite as the pro-Madrid citizen&#39;s party with 36 seats has emerged as the single largest winner with the&nbsp;tally for the separatists reflecting an overall drop in their popularity.

In fact, spokesman for the citizen&#39;s party, Ines Arrimadas said the independence movement does not represent the future for&nbsp;Catalans.

Even as champagne flows on the streets of Catalonia, separatist leader Puigdemont on a self-imposed exile in Brussels is now getting set to open talks with the other two victorious separatist groups to try and bridge differences between them, clearly, the road ahead for Puigdemont won&#39;t be as easy as it looks for pro-Catalan supporters.

Puigdemont who slipped out of Spain at the height of the Catalan separatist movement and took &quot;refuge&quot; in Brussels has a few headaches of his own, he just might be arrested the minute he returns to Spain.

Puigdemont former deputy Oriol Junqeras is already behind bars and has indicated his party might be willing to strike a deal with Spain&#39;s central government, a move which will no doubt be a huge setback for Puigdemont.

Analysts predict stormy weeks ahead as efforts begin to form a government.

The elections have clearly shown Catalan society is split down the middle between separatists and pro-Madrid nationalists, if it is not bridged soon Spain&#39;s PM Mariano Rajoy and Catalan leaders may find themselves facing elections again both at the regional and national level.

Catalonia just may have to wait a long time before it can have a new regional government.

Analysts predict stormy weeks ahead as efforts begin to form a government

The wait is over, Catalonia's three pro-independence parties including that of exiled leader Carles Puigdemont have together won 70 seats out of 135 in the snap polls in the Catalan elections. However, the big question remains whether the new government in Spain's richest province will now separate from Spain. Experts say not quite as the pro-Madrid citizen's party with 36 seats has emerged as the single largest winner with the tally for the separatists reflecting an overall drop in their popularity. In fact, spokesman for the citizen's party, Ines Arrimadas said the independence movement does not represent the future for Catalans. Even as champagne flows on the streets of Catalonia, separatist leader Puigdemont on a self-imposed exile in Brussels is now getting set to open talks with the other two victorious separatist groups to try and bridge differences between them, clearly, the road ahead for Puigdemont won't be as easy as it looks for pro-Catalan supporters. Puigdemont who slipped out of Spain at the height of the Catalan separatist movement and took "refuge" in Brussels has a few headaches of his own, he just might be arrested the minute he returns to Spain. Puigdemont former deputy Oriol Junqeras is already behind bars and has indicated his party might be willing to strike a deal with Spain's central government, a move which will no doubt be a huge setback for Puigdemont. Analysts predict stormy weeks ahead as efforts begin to form a government. The elections have clearly shown Catalan society is split down the middle between separatists and pro-Madrid nationalists, if it is not bridged soon Spain's PM Mariano Rajoy and Catalan leaders may find themselves facing elections again both at the regional and national level. Catalonia just may have to wait a long time before it can have a new regional government.

Catalan elections: Analysts predict government formation won't be easy for Puigdemont

Catalan separatists <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/polls-open-in-crucial-catalan-vote-27356">have won a landmark election</a> with nearly all votes counted, separatist parties have won a slim majority in the Catalan parliament.

As soon as the results began pouring in pro-independence supporters came out on the streets in Barcelona chanting &quot;President Puigdemont&quot;.

&quot;Either Rajoy changes his recipe or we change the country,&quot; Puigdemont&nbsp;said in a televised speech.&nbsp;

EU countries Germany and France, have backed prime minister Rajoy&#39;s stance despite criticism.

The elections which had seen a record 99.6 per cent turnout was being seen as a virtual referendum on Catalonia&#39;s future within Spain.&nbsp;

Puigdemont&#39;s spokesman told Reuters in a text message: &quot;We are the comeback kids.&quot;

However, unless three pro-independence lists fail to clinch a deal to work together in the coming months, they will rule Catalonia with 70 of the 135 seats in parliament -- two less than their previous tally of 72.

&quot;This is a result which no one can dispute,&quot; Carles Puigdemont said from self-imposed exile in Belgium.

The elections which had seen a record 99.6 per cent turnout was being seen as a virtual referendum on Catalonia's future within Spain

Catalan separatists have won a landmark election with nearly all votes counted, separatist parties have won a slim majority in the Catalan parliament. As soon as the results began pouring in pro-independence supporters came out on the streets in Barcelona chanting "President Puigdemont". "Either Rajoy changes his recipe or we change the country," Puigdemont said in a televised speech. EU countries Germany and France, have backed prime minister Rajoy's stance despite criticism. The elections which had seen a record 99.6 per cent turnout was being seen as a virtual referendum on Catalonia's future within Spain. Puigdemont's spokesman told Reuters in a text message: "We are the comeback kids." However, unless three pro-independence lists fail to clinch a deal to work together in the coming months, they will rule Catalonia with 70 of the 135 seats in parliament -- two less than their previous tally of 72. "This is a result which no one can dispute," Carles Puigdemont said from self-imposed exile in Belgium.

Puigdemont celebrates as Catalan separatists win election

Catalonia heads into a 24-hour campaigning blackout on Wednesday on the eve of a knife-edge vote, a potential turning point in the Spanish region&#39;s hotly disputed independence crisis.

Thursday&#39;s regional election pits leaders of the wealthy northeastern region&#39;s separatist movement against candidates who want to stay part of a unified Spain.

Voters are highly mobilised and a record turnout is expected, but with pro- and anti-independence candidates neck-and-neck in opinion polls neither side is likely to win a clear majority.

The election is being closely watched across a European Union still reeling from Britain`s shock decision to leave and wary about any breakup of the eurozone&#39;s fourth largest economy.

It has inflamed passions not just in Catalonia but across Spain, whose government took the unprecedented step of stripping the region of its autonomy after its parliament declared independence on October 27.

&quot;This is not a normal election,&quot; axed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont told supporters Tuesday evening in a final, virtual rally via videolink from self-imposed exile in Belgium.

&quot;What is at stake is not who gets the most votes, but whether the country (Catalonia) or (Spanish Prime Minister Mariano) Rajoy wins&quot; the standoff, he added.But with their camp in disarray, secessionists would likely put their independence drive on hold should they win Thursday`s vote.

&quot;Even if a pro-independence government is formed it will be very cautious how it acts because it won`t want to lose the restored authority the Catalan government has,&quot; Andrew Dowling, contemporary historian in Hispanic studies at Cardiff University, told AFP.

&quot;It won&#39;t want to see that suspended again,&quot; he added.

The deposed government&#39;s failed independence declaration saw more than 3,000 companies relocating from the region, and no country recognising the new &quot;republic&quot;.

While opinion polls suggest a narrow lead for the leftist, pro-independence ERC, voters could ultimately hand victory to centrist party Ciudadanos, whose charismatic candidate Ines Arrimadas has campaigned on a fierce anti-nationalist ticket.

She is fighting to replace Puigdemont, who is wanted by the Spanish courts on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds for his role in the independence drive.

&quot;We are very close to making our dream come true,&quot; Arrimadas told supporters at a Tuesday rally in a working-class district of Barcelona.

&quot;We are going to wake up from this nightmare on Thursday,&quot; she added.

Miguel Carillo, 62, a longtime supporter of Rajoy`s ruling conservative Popular Party (PP), said he would vote strategically this time for Ciudadanos.

&quot;We don&#39;t want a republic,&quot; he said. &quot;We want to be united with Spain.&quot;In another surreal twist to the Catalan election campaign, Puigdemont`s former deputy, Oriol Junqueras, has been campaigning from jail, with his ERC party running on its own ticket.

Now the separatists are not just fighting pro-unity parties for votes - but each other.

Allowed just 10 phone calls a week from jail, Junqueras has led an unorthodox campaign, giving interviews to Catalan radio and sending articles, letters and even poems to supporters.

Junqueras&#39;s supporters gathered at the prison outside Madrid where he is being held Tuesday to demand his release.

From there, they travelled to Junqueras`s hometown near Barcelona, Sant Vicenc dels Horts, for a final rally.

&quot;They (the government) did not allow Oriol Junqueras to take part in the electoral campaign because they&#39;re afraid,&quot; his deputy Marta Rovira told a gathering of some 2,000 supporters who chanted &quot;freedom!&quot;

&quot;What is this about, throwing ideas behind bars? This is not our republic!&quot; she added.The Catalan crisis came to a head on October 1, when the now deposed government held a referendum on independence despite a court ban.

The vote was marred by a brutal police crackdown and triggered Spain`s worst political crisis in decades.

Neither separatist nor pro-unity parties are predicted to win a decisive majority in the 135-seat parliament, which could lead to lengthy negotiations to form a regional government.

If parties cannot agree a governing coalition, Catalonia could face fresh elections next year, prolonging the political uncertainty.

Thursday's regional election pits leaders of the wealthy northeastern region's separatist movement against candidates who want to stay part of a unified Spain.

Catalonia heads into a 24-hour campaigning blackout on Wednesday on the eve of a knife-edge vote, a potential turning point in the Spanish region's hotly disputed independence crisis. Thursday's regional election pits leaders of the wealthy northeastern region's separatist movement against candidates who want to stay part of a unified Spain. Voters are highly mobilised and a record turnout is expected, but with pro- and anti-independence candidates neck-and-neck in opinion polls neither side is likely to win a clear majority. The election is being closely watched across a European Union still reeling from Britain`s shock decision to leave and wary about any breakup of the eurozone's fourth largest economy. It has inflamed passions not just in Catalonia but across Spain, whose government took the unprecedented step of stripping the region of its autonomy after its parliament declared independence on October 27. "This is not a normal election," axed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont told supporters Tuesday evening in a final, virtual rally via videolink from self-imposed exile in Belgium. "What is at stake is not who gets the most votes, but whether the country (Catalonia) or (Spanish Prime Minister Mariano) Rajoy wins" the standoff, he added.But with their camp in disarray, secessionists would likely put their independence drive on hold should they win Thursday`s vote. "Even if a pro-independence government is formed it will be very cautious how it acts because it won`t want to lose the restored authority the Catalan government has," Andrew Dowling, contemporary historian in Hispanic studies at Cardiff University, told AFP. "It won't want to see that suspended again," he added. The deposed government's failed independence declaration saw more than 3,000 companies relocating from the region, and no country recognising the new "republic". While opinion polls suggest a narrow lead for the leftist, pro-independence ERC, voters could ultimately hand victory to centrist party Ciudadanos, whose charismatic candidate Ines Arrimadas has campaigned on a fierce anti-nationalist ticket. She is fighting to replace Puigdemont, who is wanted by the Spanish courts on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds for his role in the independence drive. "We are very close to making our dream come true," Arrimadas told supporters at a Tuesday rally in a working-class district of Barcelona. "We are going to wake up from this nightmare on Thursday," she added. Miguel Carillo, 62, a longtime supporter of Rajoy`s ruling conservative Popular Party (PP), said he would vote strategically this time for Ciudadanos. "We don't want a republic," he said. "We want to be united with Spain."In another surreal twist to the Catalan election campaign, Puigdemont`s former deputy, Oriol Junqueras, has been campaigning from jail, with his ERC party running on its own ticket. Now the separatists are not just fighting pro-unity parties for votes - but each other. Allowed just 10 phone calls a week from jail, Junqueras has led an unorthodox campaign, giving interviews to Catalan radio and sending articles, letters and even poems to supporters. Junqueras's supporters gathered at the prison outside Madrid where he is being held Tuesday to demand his release. From there, they travelled to Junqueras`s hometown near Barcelona, Sant Vicenc dels Horts, for a final rally. "They (the government) did not allow Oriol Junqueras to take part in the electoral campaign because they're afraid," his deputy Marta Rovira told a gathering of some 2,000 supporters who chanted "freedom!" "What is this about, throwing ideas behind bars? This is not our republic!" she added.The Catalan crisis came to a head on October 1, when the now deposed government held a referendum on independence despite a court ban. The vote was marred by a brutal police crackdown and triggered Spain`s worst political crisis in decades. Neither separatist nor pro-unity parties are predicted to win a decisive majority in the 135-seat parliament, which could lead to lengthy negotiations to form a regional government. If parties cannot agree a governing coalition, Catalonia could face fresh elections next year, prolonging the political uncertainty.

Campaigns go silent ahead of knife-edge Catalan vote

From the hammer blow of Brexit to turbulence in Catalonia, new forms of nationalism are testing the relevance and unity of the European Union, analysts say.

The crisis in Spain served as a stark reminder of the fault lines that run through Europe, with a country&#39;s central government battling a region whose leaders want to break away.

In Britain, the cry for sovereignty brought 17.4 million people to the polls to vote for Brexit in June 2016.

Campaigners also played on anger about having to fund the EU -- arguing that it imposed bureaucratic rules from afar and prevented the country from engaging with the rest of the world.

In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence.

&quot;The nationalists understood that in developed and prosperous regions, you can no longer simply appeal to the idea of historic oppression&quot;, said Bruno Yammine, a Belgium-based historian.

&quot;Economic arguments have now legitimised cultural and ethnic nationalism, especially by renouncing fiscal solidarity with poorer regions&quot;, he added.

The &quot;Brexiteers&quot; argued that money currently being paid by London to the EU would be better spent on the public health service, despite their financial figures being hotly disputed.

In Barcelona, &quot;there was the idea of a Catalonia that could be an international platform within the framework of the EU, a North American style of the platform that could bring additional growth&quot;, said Andres de Blas Guerrero, a political scientist at Spain&#39;s National University of Distance Education.

Other sentiments seized on by populist nationalists include the threat of immigration to national identity and a rejection of elites.

For Renaud Thillaye, European Affairs analyst at Flint Global in London, a management consultancy, the success of nationalism is linked &quot;on the one hand to corruption and the discrediting of traditional parties, and the thirst for more local democracy.

&quot;On the other hand, there is a need for cultural anchoring around a common language and heritage at a time when everything is moving very fast and the artificial character of nation-states is all the more apparent&quot;.

Against this backdrop, nationalists have been able to paint supra-national bodies such as the EU as instruments of globalisation, which they blame for reinforcing the domestic wealth gap and testing national solidarity.

Thillaye said the EU wants to avoid the proliferation of states at all costs and is doing everything possible to discourage independence movements, whether it be in Scotland, Catalonia or Corsica, who may at one point have seen the EU as an ally in their fight against the central state.

&nbsp;

In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence

From the hammer blow of Brexit to turbulence in Catalonia, new forms of nationalism are testing the relevance and unity of the European Union, analysts say. The crisis in Spain served as a stark reminder of the fault lines that run through Europe, with a country's central government battling a region whose leaders want to break away. In Britain, the cry for sovereignty brought 17.4 million people to the polls to vote for Brexit in June 2016. Campaigners also played on anger about having to fund the EU -- arguing that it imposed bureaucratic rules from afar and prevented the country from engaging with the rest of the world. In Catalonia, emotional arguments dating back to the Franco dictatorship combined with economic issues to fuel calls for independence. "The nationalists understood that in developed and prosperous regions, you can no longer simply appeal to the idea of historic oppression", said Bruno Yammine, a Belgium-based historian. "Economic arguments have now legitimised cultural and ethnic nationalism, especially by renouncing fiscal solidarity with poorer regions", he added. The "Brexiteers" argued that money currently being paid by London to the EU would be better spent on the public health service, despite their financial figures being hotly disputed. In Barcelona, "there was the idea of a Catalonia that could be an international platform within the framework of the EU, a North American style of the platform that could bring additional growth", said Andres de Blas Guerrero, a political scientist at Spain's National University of Distance Education. Other sentiments seized on by populist nationalists include the threat of immigration to national identity and a rejection of elites. For Renaud Thillaye, European Affairs analyst at Flint Global in London, a management consultancy, the success of nationalism is linked "on the one hand to corruption and the discrediting of traditional parties, and the thirst for more local democracy. "On the other hand, there is a need for cultural anchoring around a common language and heritage at a time when everything is moving very fast and the artificial character of nation-states is all the more apparent". Against this backdrop, nationalists have been able to paint supra-national bodies such as the EU as instruments of globalisation, which they blame for reinforcing the domestic wealth gap and testing national solidarity. Thillaye said the EU wants to avoid the proliferation of states at all costs and is doing everything possible to discourage independence movements, whether it be in Scotland, Catalonia or Corsica, who may at one point have seen the EU as an ally in their fight against the central state.

Brexit, Catalonia test EU resolve against nationalism

Catalonia&#39;s deposed leader Carles Puigdemont Saturday launched his campaign for regional elections by calling on Catalans to make known their desire for independence.

&quot;We Catalans demonstrated to the world that we have the capacity and the will to become an independent state. And on (December) 21, we must ratify this,&quot; he said in Oostkamp in Belgium, where he travelled after the Catalan parliament declared unilateral independence.

Puigdemont was sacked as Catalan president after that declaration on October 27 as was his entire regional government. Madrid imposed direct rule on the once semi-autonomous region to stop the independence drive.

At the time, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also dissolved the Catalan parliament and called next month`s elections in a bid to &quot;restore normality&quot; to the region.

Puigdemont, who is awaiting possible extradition to Spain where he is wanted on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, is running at the head of the Junts per Catalunya (&quot;All for Catalonia&quot; in Catalan) grouping.

It comprises people from his conservative, separatist PDeCAT party as well as members of civil society. Puigdemont had hoped to form a united separatist front for the new elections, as was the case in the region`s last elections in 2015, when the pro-independence camp secured a majority of 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament, even though it won just 47.8 percent of the vote.

But ERC - the party of his former vice-president Oriol Junqueras, who stayed in Spain and was remanded in custody by a judge investigating him and other former regional ministers on the same charges as Puigdemont - rejected a joint ticket.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sacked-catalan-leader-carles-puigdemont-freed-on-bail-in-belgium-23557">Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium</a>&nbsp;

Opinion polls suggest that ERC is leading in the current campaign, which officially opens on December 5. And they predict that separatist parties and those for unity with Spain will be neck and neck.

&quot;This moment transcends political parties,&quot; Puigdemont said in Oostkamp. &quot;It`s time for us to be activists for Catalonia, which is what people want.&quot;

It is unclear whether Puigdemont will still be in Belgium when the elections take place.

If Belgium decides to extradite him to Spain, he faces jail pending a probe into the charges against him.

Spanish MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a member of Rajoy`s conservative Popular Party, said Saturday it was &quot;surreal&quot; that Puigdemont was launching his campaign from Belgium.

&quot;He`s not in exile in Brussels, but looking for a hideout. Puigdemont doesn`t live in Brussels, he`s hiding there,&quot; he said in an event in Ibiza.

The separatist crisis began in earnest on October 1 when separatist leaders held an independence referendum despite a court ban, in which they said 90 percent opted to break from Spain even if less than half of eligible voters turned out in the deeply divided region.

Catalonia`s deposed leader Carles Puigdemont Saturday launched his campaign for regional elections by calling on Catalans to make known their desire for independence

Catalonia's deposed leader Carles Puigdemont Saturday launched his campaign for regional elections by calling on Catalans to make known their desire for independence. "We Catalans demonstrated to the world that we have the capacity and the will to become an independent state. And on (December) 21, we must ratify this," he said in Oostkamp in Belgium, where he travelled after the Catalan parliament declared unilateral independence. Puigdemont was sacked as Catalan president after that declaration on October 27 as was his entire regional government. Madrid imposed direct rule on the once semi-autonomous region to stop the independence drive. At the time, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also dissolved the Catalan parliament and called next month`s elections in a bid to "restore normality" to the region. Puigdemont, who is awaiting possible extradition to Spain where he is wanted on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, is running at the head of the Junts per Catalunya ("All for Catalonia" in Catalan) grouping. It comprises people from his conservative, separatist PDeCAT party as well as members of civil society. Puigdemont had hoped to form a united separatist front for the new elections, as was the case in the region`s last elections in 2015, when the pro-independence camp secured a majority of 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament, even though it won just 47.8 percent of the vote. But ERC - the party of his former vice-president Oriol Junqueras, who stayed in Spain and was remanded in custody by a judge investigating him and other former regional ministers on the same charges as Puigdemont - rejected a joint ticket. Also read: Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium Opinion polls suggest that ERC is leading in the current campaign, which officially opens on December 5. And they predict that separatist parties and those for unity with Spain will be neck and neck. "This moment transcends political parties," Puigdemont said in Oostkamp. "It`s time for us to be activists for Catalonia, which is what people want." It is unclear whether Puigdemont will still be in Belgium when the elections take place. If Belgium decides to extradite him to Spain, he faces jail pending a probe into the charges against him. Spanish MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a member of Rajoy`s conservative Popular Party, said Saturday it was "surreal" that Puigdemont was launching his campaign from Belgium. "He`s not in exile in Brussels, but looking for a hideout. Puigdemont doesn`t live in Brussels, he`s hiding there," he said in an event in Ibiza. The separatist crisis began in earnest on October 1 when separatist leaders held an independence referendum despite a court ban, in which they said 90 percent opted to break from Spain even if less than half of eligible voters turned out in the deeply divided region.

Polls must 'ratify' Catalonia's desire for independence: Puigdemont

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;visit Catalonia for the first time since Madrid imposed direct rule on the region, a day after hundreds of thousands of Catalans marched to demand the release of jailed regional officials.

Mariano Rajoy is expected in Barcelona, the Catalan capital, at&nbsp;11:00 am&nbsp;(1000 GMT) to show support for his Popular Party`s campaign ahead of a vote next month.

His visit comes two weeks after he dismissed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, his government and the parliament, suspended the region&#39;s autonomy and called for new elections there on&nbsp;December 21.

On Saturday&nbsp;hundreds of thousands of Catalans protested the jailing of regional officials for their push for independence from Spain, which has left the country mired in a political crisis.

The demonstrators gathered on an avenue next to the regional parliament building waving Catalan independence flags and chanting &quot;Freedom!&quot; while some held up banners announcing: &quot;SOS Democracy&quot;.

Rajoy, who is due to attend a presentation by a party candidate at a station hotel, will not make a public appearance in the city.

The protest followed the release from jail of the region&#39;s parliament speaker -- one of the dozens of lawmakers sacked by Madrid last month -- after posting 150,000 euros ($175,000) bail.

Children in riding helmets climbed castells -- the region&#39;s traditional human towers -- as others held placards bearing caricatures of some jailed lawmakers.

Barcelona municipal police put turnout for the march at some 750,000 people as crowds stretched for more than 15 blocks along the boulevard.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-senate-votes-to-suspend-catalonias-autonomy-23050">The Catalonia crisis</a> has caused concern in the European Union as the bloc deals with Brexit and uncertainty over the fate of the region`s 7.5 million people. More than 2,400 businesses have moved their legal headquarters elsewhere.

On Wednesday&nbsp;a general strike called by a pro-independence union caused travel chaos, blocking 60 roads and train lines including Spain`s main highway link to France and the rest of Europe.

Since lawmakers in Catalonia -- a wealthy region with its own language and distinct culture -- declared independence on October 27 following a banned referendum, pro-separatist officials have come under huge pressure from Madrid.

Barcelona&#39;s popular mayor earlier slammed the actions of Puigdemont`s government.

&quot;They&#39;ve provoked tensions and carried out a unilateral independence declaration which the majority do not want,&quot; Ada Colau told a meeting of her party members.

&quot;They&#39;ve tricked the population for their own interests.&quot;

Eight members of the axed Catalan cabinet are currently detained on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds.&nbsp;

A further six fired officials including parliament speaker Carme Forcadell were granted bail this week on similar charges by Spain&#39;s Supreme Court.

Puigdemont is in self-imposed exile in Belgium awaiting a hearing on possible extradition back to Spain after Madrid issued an EU-wide warrant.

&quot;The situation is sad, the politicians haven&#39;t done their jobs,&quot; said Robert Muni, who was protesting with his children, although some protesters shouted their support for Puigdemont, &quot;our president&quot;. Puigdemont and four ex-ministers say they are in Brussels because they cannot be guaranteed a fair trial back home.&nbsp;

&quot;Although some of us are far away from you and others are in prison, we have an opportunity to express loudly and clearly that we want freedom and democracy,&quot; Puigdemont told Catalan television.&nbsp;

Saturday&#39;s protest was organised by two pro-independence lobby groups, ANC and Omnium, whose two leaders are also detained.

&quot;We don&#39;t know what`s going to happen but we know what we want: the release of political prisoners,&quot; said demonstrator Maria Angels Quintana.

Puigdemont has said he travelled to Brussels after declaring independence in order to raise international awareness on the treatment of separatists in Spain.

But the European Union, nervous that Catalan independence could stir up separatist tensions in several member states, has repeatedly backed the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy over the crisis.

Some participants at the rally betrayed their frustration at the lack of support from Brussels for their cause, holding banners printed in English asking &quot;Europe, where are you?&quot;

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will?on Sunday?visit Catalonia for the first time since Madrid imposed direct rule on the region, a day after hundreds of thousands of Catalans marched to demand the release of jailed regional officials.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will on Sunday visit Catalonia for the first time since Madrid imposed direct rule on the region, a day after hundreds of thousands of Catalans marched to demand the release of jailed regional officials. Mariano Rajoy is expected in Barcelona, the Catalan capital, at 11:00 am (1000 GMT) to show support for his Popular Party`s campaign ahead of a vote next month. His visit comes two weeks after he dismissed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, his government and the parliament, suspended the region's autonomy and called for new elections there on December 21. On Saturday hundreds of thousands of Catalans protested the jailing of regional officials for their push for independence from Spain, which has left the country mired in a political crisis. The demonstrators gathered on an avenue next to the regional parliament building waving Catalan independence flags and chanting "Freedom!" while some held up banners announcing: "SOS Democracy". Rajoy, who is due to attend a presentation by a party candidate at a station hotel, will not make a public appearance in the city. The protest followed the release from jail of the region's parliament speaker -- one of the dozens of lawmakers sacked by Madrid last month -- after posting 150,000 euros ($175,000) bail. Children in riding helmets climbed castells -- the region's traditional human towers -- as others held placards bearing caricatures of some jailed lawmakers. Barcelona municipal police put turnout for the march at some 750,000 people as crowds stretched for more than 15 blocks along the boulevard. The Catalonia crisis has caused concern in the European Union as the bloc deals with Brexit and uncertainty over the fate of the region`s 7.5 million people. More than 2,400 businesses have moved their legal headquarters elsewhere. On Wednesday a general strike called by a pro-independence union caused travel chaos, blocking 60 roads and train lines including Spain`s main highway link to France and the rest of Europe. Since lawmakers in Catalonia -- a wealthy region with its own language and distinct culture -- declared independence on October 27 following a banned referendum, pro-separatist officials have come under huge pressure from Madrid. Barcelona's popular mayor earlier slammed the actions of Puigdemont`s government. "They've provoked tensions and carried out a unilateral independence declaration which the majority do not want," Ada Colau told a meeting of her party members. "They've tricked the population for their own interests." Eight members of the axed Catalan cabinet are currently detained on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds. A further six fired officials including parliament speaker Carme Forcadell were granted bail this week on similar charges by Spain's Supreme Court. Puigdemont is in self-imposed exile in Belgium awaiting a hearing on possible extradition back to Spain after Madrid issued an EU-wide warrant. "The situation is sad, the politicians haven't done their jobs," said Robert Muni, who was protesting with his children, although some protesters shouted their support for Puigdemont, "our president". Puigdemont and four ex-ministers say they are in Brussels because they cannot be guaranteed a fair trial back home. "Although some of us are far away from you and others are in prison, we have an opportunity to express loudly and clearly that we want freedom and democracy," Puigdemont told Catalan television. Saturday's protest was organised by two pro-independence lobby groups, ANC and Omnium, whose two leaders are also detained. "We don't know what`s going to happen but we know what we want: the release of political prisoners," said demonstrator Maria Angels Quintana. Puigdemont has said he travelled to Brussels after declaring independence in order to raise international awareness on the treatment of separatists in Spain. But the European Union, nervous that Catalan independence could stir up separatist tensions in several member states, has repeatedly backed the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy over the crisis. Some participants at the rally betrayed their frustration at the lack of support from Brussels for their cause, holding banners printed in English asking "Europe, where are you?"

Rajoy in Barcelona for first Catalonia visit since direct rule

Spain&#39;s constitutional court has annulled <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/catalan-secessionist-parties-fail-to-agree-on-unity-ticket-for-december-vote-23696">the Catalan parliament&#39;s unilateral declaration</a> of independence last month.

&quot;The declaration of independence of October 27 has been declared unconstitutional and void,&quot; a court spokeswoman said in a statement.

Last week, the Spanish government had seized control of Catalonia, sacking its police chief after the Catalan regional parliament&#39;s independence declaration.

The Spanish government&#39;s move came even as thousands celebrated in Barcelona and other Catalan cities a fortnight ago.

Last week, the Spanish government had seized control of Catalonia, sacking its police chief after the Catalan regional parliament's independence declaration

Spain's constitutional court has annulled the Catalan parliament's unilateral declaration of independence last month. "The declaration of independence of October 27 has been declared unconstitutional and void," a court spokeswoman said in a statement. Last week, the Spanish government had seized control of Catalonia, sacking its police chief after the Catalan regional parliament's independence declaration. The Spanish government's move came even as thousands celebrated in Barcelona and other Catalan cities a fortnight ago.

Catalan parliament's independence declaration unconstitutional and void: Spanish court

Catalonia&#39;s sacked separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers were released with conditions in Belgium on Sunday after turning themselves in to face a Spanish warrant for their arrest.

A judge ordered the five, who fled Spain earlier this week after being accused of rebellion and sedition, not to leave Belgium until their extradition case is heard.

It is the latest twist in the crisis unleashed by the Catalan separatists&#39; push to break away from Spain, sending shock waves across Europe.

&#39;Fair and impartial&#39; process&nbsp;

Puigdemont and his allies escaped to Belgium last Monday after Spain dismissed the Catalan executive and imposed direct rule on the semi-autonomous region following the declaration of independence by the parliament there last month.

&quot;They were taken into custody at 9:17 am (0817 GMT),&quot; said Gilles Dejemeppe, a spokesman for Belgian prosecutors.

A white van believed to be carrying Puigdemont raced out of the Belgian prosecutor&#39;s office around 15 hours later,&nbsp;reporters witnessed.

&quot;The request made this afternoon by the Brussels&rsquo; Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office for the provisional release of all persons sought has been granted by the investigative judge,&quot; said the statement by the prosecutor&#39;s office shortly afterward.

The next court hearing will be in the following 15 days. Belgium has up to 60 days to decide whether to send the Catalans back to Spain.

Puigdemont&#39;s PDeCAT party said Sunday that he had turned himself in to show his &quot;willingness not to flee from the judicial process but to defend himself in a fair and impartial process, which is possible in Belgium, and highly doubtful in Spain&quot;.

Puigdemont wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he and his colleagues -- Meritxell Serret, Antoni Comin, Lluis Puig and Clara Ponsati -- would cooperate with the Belgian authorities.

Spain issued European arrest warrants on Friday after Puigdemont and his allies ignored a summons to appear before a judge on allegations linked to the move to declare Catalonia an independent republic.

The judge in Madrid had on Thursday put Puigdemont&#39;s deputy and seven other deposed regional ministers behind bars because of a risk they would flee.

&#39;Political influence&#39;&nbsp;

Puigdemont, 54, insists that Catalonia earned the right to declare independence following a banned referendum last month and has described his detained colleagues as &quot;political prisoners&quot;.

On Sunday, protesters in Catalan cities took to the streets to demand their release.

In Barcelona, city police said about 350 people gathered on the central University Square, shouting &quot;Freedom&quot; and carrying posters that read &quot;Freedom for political prisoners&quot;.

Others stuck posters demanding their release on walls throughout the city.

Puigdemont said he was not convinced by guarantees of a fair trial back home, denouncing the &quot;enormous pressure and political influence on judicial power in Spain.&quot;

The judge could &quot;refuse to hand over Puigdemont if there is a proven serious risk to his fundamental rights,&quot; said Anne Weyembergh, president of the Institute of European Studies at the Free University of Brussels.

She said the court would need to see evidence of criminal offences before executing the warrant.

But cases of refusal are rare, according to several lawyers interviewed by AFP.

&nbsp;Election candidate&nbsp;

Puigdemont, who still describes himself as Catalonia&#39;s &quot;president,&quot; has also said he is willing to run as a candidate in the December 21 regional election called by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to &quot;restore normality&quot; to Catalonia.

&quot;We want president Puigdemont to be the person who leads the big offensive we will carry out on the 21st at the polls,&quot; said Marta Pascal, a PDeCAT spokeswoman.

She said the conservative, pro-independence party was looking to put together a &quot;big united list&quot;, a day after Puigdemont himself called for separatists to unite in the election.

During the last regional election in September 2015, Puigdemont&#39;s PDeCAT and the leftwing ERC party joined for a &quot;Together for Yes&quot; coalition in Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people.

With the help of the separatist far-left CUP party, they held an absolute majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament, which was swiftly dissolved by Madrid under a never-used constitutional move after the October 27 independence proclamation.

But there have been growing tensions between the two allies over strategy and it is not clear if they will stand together again.

ERC leader Oriol Junqueras has been in custody since Thursday along with other members of Puigdemont&#39;s dismissed government who did not flee to Belgium.

Opinion polls published in several newspapers Sunday indicated that the ERC would come first in the December election, but that the independence coalition as a whole could lose its absolute majority.

But Puigdemont&#39;s party, which has been in power in the wealthy northeastern region for much of Spain&#39;s modern democratic era, would come fourth, the surveys&nbsp;

Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers were released with conditions in Belgium on Sunday

Catalonia's sacked separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers were released with conditions in Belgium on Sunday after turning themselves in to face a Spanish warrant for their arrest. A judge ordered the five, who fled Spain earlier this week after being accused of rebellion and sedition, not to leave Belgium until their extradition case is heard. It is the latest twist in the crisis unleashed by the Catalan separatists' push to break away from Spain, sending shock waves across Europe. 'Fair and impartial' process Puigdemont and his allies escaped to Belgium last Monday after Spain dismissed the Catalan executive and imposed direct rule on the semi-autonomous region following the declaration of independence by the parliament there last month. "They were taken into custody at 9:17 am (0817 GMT)," said Gilles Dejemeppe, a spokesman for Belgian prosecutors. A white van believed to be carrying Puigdemont raced out of the Belgian prosecutor's office around 15 hours later, reporters witnessed. "The request made this afternoon by the Brussels’ Prosecutor’s Office for the provisional release of all persons sought has been granted by the investigative judge," said the statement by the prosecutor's office shortly afterward. The next court hearing will be in the following 15 days. Belgium has up to 60 days to decide whether to send the Catalans back to Spain. Puigdemont's PDeCAT party said Sunday that he had turned himself in to show his "willingness not to flee from the judicial process but to defend himself in a fair and impartial process, which is possible in Belgium, and highly doubtful in Spain". Puigdemont wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he and his colleagues -- Meritxell Serret, Antoni Comin, Lluis Puig and Clara Ponsati -- would cooperate with the Belgian authorities. Spain issued European arrest warrants on Friday after Puigdemont and his allies ignored a summons to appear before a judge on allegations linked to the move to declare Catalonia an independent republic. The judge in Madrid had on Thursday put Puigdemont's deputy and seven other deposed regional ministers behind bars because of a risk they would flee. 'Political influence' Puigdemont, 54, insists that Catalonia earned the right to declare independence following a banned referendum last month and has described his detained colleagues as "political prisoners". On Sunday, protesters in Catalan cities took to the streets to demand their release. In Barcelona, city police said about 350 people gathered on the central University Square, shouting "Freedom" and carrying posters that read "Freedom for political prisoners". Others stuck posters demanding their release on walls throughout the city. Puigdemont said he was not convinced by guarantees of a fair trial back home, denouncing the "enormous pressure and political influence on judicial power in Spain." The judge could "refuse to hand over Puigdemont if there is a proven serious risk to his fundamental rights," said Anne Weyembergh, president of the Institute of European Studies at the Free University of Brussels. She said the court would need to see evidence of criminal offences before executing the warrant. But cases of refusal are rare, according to several lawyers interviewed by AFP. Election candidate Puigdemont, who still describes himself as Catalonia's "president," has also said he is willing to run as a candidate in the December 21 regional election called by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to "restore normality" to Catalonia. "We want president Puigdemont to be the person who leads the big offensive we will carry out on the 21st at the polls," said Marta Pascal, a PDeCAT spokeswoman. She said the conservative, pro-independence party was looking to put together a "big united list", a day after Puigdemont himself called for separatists to unite in the election. During the last regional election in September 2015, Puigdemont's PDeCAT and the leftwing ERC party joined for a "Together for Yes" coalition in Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people. With the help of the separatist far-left CUP party, they held an absolute majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament, which was swiftly dissolved by Madrid under a never-used constitutional move after the October 27 independence proclamation. But there have been growing tensions between the two allies over strategy and it is not clear if they will stand together again. ERC leader Oriol Junqueras has been in custody since Thursday along with other members of Puigdemont's dismissed government who did not flee to Belgium. Opinion polls published in several newspapers Sunday indicated that the ERC would come first in the December election, but that the independence coalition as a whole could lose its absolute majority. But Puigdemont's party, which has been in power in the wealthy northeastern region for much of Spain's modern democratic era, would come fourth, the surveys

Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium

A Spanish judge issued an EU arrest warrant for Catalonia&#39;s deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, a day after he failed to appear for questioning over his role in the region&#39;s tumultuous independence drive.

The announcement added to anger and dismay in a second straight night of demonstrations in the wealthy north-eastern region, with protesters chanting and waving Catalan flags of red and yellow stripes with a white star.

Spanish prosecutors want to charge Puigdemont, holed up in Belgium, with rebellion, sedition, and misuse of public funds. On Thursday the 54-year-old ignored a summons to appear before the same judge in Madrid.

An EU arrest warrant was also issued for four other Catalan ministers who failed to show up and are also thought to be in Belgium, a court statement said. They, like Puigdemont, were dismissed by Spain&#39;s central government a week ago.

On Thursday the judge had Puigdemont&#39;s deputy and seven other deposed regional ministers jailed pending a possible trial because of a risk that they might similarly abscond.

Speaking in an interview on Belgian television channel RTBF on Friday, recorded before the widely expected warrant was issued, Puigdemont said he was not hiding from &quot;real justice&quot; but from a &quot;clearly politicised&quot; Spanish legal system.

He said he was not convinced by guarantees of a fair trial, decrying the &quot;enormous pressure and political influence on judicial power in Spain.&quot;

&quot;I have told my lawyers to inform the Belgian justice authorities that I am completely at their disposal,&quot; he said.

Belgian prosecutors said they would study the warrant and then give it to a judge.

Rubber bullets&nbsp;

Spain&#39;s worst political crisis in decades flared up over the staging of a Catalan independence referendum on October 1 despite a court ban. Spanish police tried and failed to stop it, in some cases firing rubber bullets.

An independence declaration by the Catalan parliament followed one week ago.

Spain&#39;s government responded by dismissing Puigdemont&#39;s government, imposing direct rule and calling fresh elections in Catalonia on December 21.

Twenty people including Puigdemont and the Catalan parliament speaker had been summoned for questioning on Thursday.

Puigdemont&#39;s Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert, who has helped Basque separatist militants challenge Spanish extradition, said his client did not see the climate as &quot;conducive to testifying&quot;.

Late Thursday, as television footage showed police vans with flashing blue lights driving Puigdemont&#39;s former ministers to different prisons, furious Catalans took to the streets.

About 20,000 people, according to police, demonstrated in the regional capital Barcelona, while others gathered across in towns, and thousands turned out again on Friday evening.

&#39;Not an internal matter&#39;&nbsp;

Puigdemont has said that the situation &quot;is no longer an internal Spanish affair&quot;, calling on the international community to wake up to the &quot;danger&quot;.

But apart from Scotland&#39;s separatist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon criticising the &quot;jailing of political opponents&quot;, there are no signs that other countries&#39; steadfast backing of Madrid is faltering.

Germany reiterated its support for the &quot;unity and constitutional order of Spain&quot; while a European Commission spokeswoman said it respects &quot;fully&quot; the independence of the Spanish judiciary.

&quot;Spain has the rule of law and nobody can escape court decisions. There are international instruments to ensure that those who want to escape are placed at the disposal of the courts,&quot; Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said.

The 7.5 million people of Catalonia, which until this past week had considerable autonomy, are fiercely proud of their language and culture but are also deeply divided about the wisdom of independence.

Spain&#39;s central bank warned Thursday of a possible recession in Catalonia. Unemployment there rose strongly in October. More than 2,000 firms have moved their legal headquarters elsewhere.

The separatist movement is also divided, although there are tentative signs that the latest events might galvanise its two main parties to fight the December election with a common list.

&quot;It&#39;s absolutely indispensable that we have a joint strategy to battle the repression,&quot; Sergi Sabria, a spokesman for the ERC party, told Catalunya Radio.

Peter Ceretti at the Economist Intelligence Unit said pro-independence parties might win the December election, as the jailed ministers could deliver an &quot;important propaganda&quot; boost.

Puigdemont said Friday he was &quot;ready to be a candidate&quot; in the election, but he poured scorn on the exercise.&nbsp;

&quot;I was elected. What is the purpose of (new) elections?&quot; he asked, accusing Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of &quot;illegally&quot; dissolving the Catalan parliament.&nbsp;

&quot;In order to resolve political problems you need to play politics. You don&#39;t imprison those who think differently to you,&quot; Puigdemont said.

A Spanish judge issued an EU arrest warrant for Catalonia's deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, a day after he failed to appear for questioning over his role in the region's tumultuous independence drive

A Spanish judge issued an EU arrest warrant for Catalonia's deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, a day after he failed to appear for questioning over his role in the region's tumultuous independence drive. The announcement added to anger and dismay in a second straight night of demonstrations in the wealthy north-eastern region, with protesters chanting and waving Catalan flags of red and yellow stripes with a white star. Spanish prosecutors want to charge Puigdemont, holed up in Belgium, with rebellion, sedition, and misuse of public funds. On Thursday the 54-year-old ignored a summons to appear before the same judge in Madrid. An EU arrest warrant was also issued for four other Catalan ministers who failed to show up and are also thought to be in Belgium, a court statement said. They, like Puigdemont, were dismissed by Spain's central government a week ago. On Thursday the judge had Puigdemont's deputy and seven other deposed regional ministers jailed pending a possible trial because of a risk that they might similarly abscond. Speaking in an interview on Belgian television channel RTBF on Friday, recorded before the widely expected warrant was issued, Puigdemont said he was not hiding from "real justice" but from a "clearly politicised" Spanish legal system. He said he was not convinced by guarantees of a fair trial, decrying the "enormous pressure and political influence on judicial power in Spain." "I have told my lawyers to inform the Belgian justice authorities that I am completely at their disposal," he said. Belgian prosecutors said they would study the warrant and then give it to a judge. Rubber bullets Spain's worst political crisis in decades flared up over the staging of a Catalan independence referendum on October 1 despite a court ban. Spanish police tried and failed to stop it, in some cases firing rubber bullets. An independence declaration by the Catalan parliament followed one week ago. Spain's government responded by dismissing Puigdemont's government, imposing direct rule and calling fresh elections in Catalonia on December 21. Twenty people including Puigdemont and the Catalan parliament speaker had been summoned for questioning on Thursday. Puigdemont's Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert, who has helped Basque separatist militants challenge Spanish extradition, said his client did not see the climate as "conducive to testifying". Late Thursday, as television footage showed police vans with flashing blue lights driving Puigdemont's former ministers to different prisons, furious Catalans took to the streets. About 20,000 people, according to police, demonstrated in the regional capital Barcelona, while others gathered across in towns, and thousands turned out again on Friday evening. 'Not an internal matter' Puigdemont has said that the situation "is no longer an internal Spanish affair", calling on the international community to wake up to the "danger". But apart from Scotland's separatist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon criticising the "jailing of political opponents", there are no signs that other countries' steadfast backing of Madrid is faltering. Germany reiterated its support for the "unity and constitutional order of Spain" while a European Commission spokeswoman said it respects "fully" the independence of the Spanish judiciary. "Spain has the rule of law and nobody can escape court decisions. There are international instruments to ensure that those who want to escape are placed at the disposal of the courts," Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said. The 7.5 million people of Catalonia, which until this past week had considerable autonomy, are fiercely proud of their language and culture but are also deeply divided about the wisdom of independence. Spain's central bank warned Thursday of a possible recession in Catalonia. Unemployment there rose strongly in October. More than 2,000 firms have moved their legal headquarters elsewhere. The separatist movement is also divided, although there are tentative signs that the latest events might galvanise its two main parties to fight the December election with a common list. "It's absolutely indispensable that we have a joint strategy to battle the repression," Sergi Sabria, a spokesman for the ERC party, told Catalunya Radio. Peter Ceretti at the Economist Intelligence Unit said pro-independence parties might win the December election, as the jailed ministers could deliver an "important propaganda" boost. Puigdemont said Friday he was "ready to be a candidate" in the election, but he poured scorn on the exercise. "I was elected. What is the purpose of (new) elections?" he asked, accusing Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of "illegally" dissolving the Catalan parliament. "In order to resolve political problems you need to play politics. You don't imprison those who think differently to you," Puigdemont said.

Spanish judge issues arrest warrant for Catalan leader Puigdemont

A large chunk of Catalonia&#39;s deposed government was behind bars early Friday after a Spanish judge prompted fresh protests by ordering their detention pending probes into their role in the region&#39;s independence drive.

Carles Puigdemont, dismissed last week as Catalan president by the Spanish government and who has since been holed up in Belgium, was issued an EU arrest warrant after failing to show at the court hearing in Madrid, his Belgian lawyer said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spanish-prosecutors-seek-eu-arrest-warrant-for-puigdemont-23400" target="_blank">Also read: Spanish prosecutors seek EU arrest warrant for Puigdemont</a>

In another day of high drama in Spain&#39;s biggest crisis in decades, judge Carmen Lamela had Puigdemont&#39;s deputy and seven other deposed regional ministers detained pending a potential trial for alleged sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds.

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<h5>Carles Puigdemont, dismissed last week as Catalan president by the Spanish government and who has since been holed up in Belgium, was issued an EU arrest warrant after failing to show at the court hearing in Madrid, his Belgian lawyer said</h5>
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With television channels showing images of police vans with flashing blue lights said to be taking the former ministers to different prisons, Catalans took to the streets in anger and disbelief.

There were protests in front of the Catalan parliament in Barcelona, the regional capital, with police estimating a crowd of 20,000. Others gathered outside town halls across the region including 8,000 people in both Girona and Tarragona.

Those in Barcelona held up their mobile phones like candles and waved separatist flags -- red and yellow stripes with a white star -- also holding black-and-yellow &quot;libertad&quot; (&quot;freedom&quot;) signs.

The crowds, who included elderly couples and young parents carrying toddlers, chanted &quot;Free political prisoners&quot; and &quot;This isn&#39;t justice but dictatorship.&quot;

&quot;It makes you angry even when you don&#39;t vote for independence because every time a disproportionate measure is taken, it only fuels independence,&quot; said retired teacher Dolores, 66.

Puigdemont called in a statement broadcast on Catalan TV from an undisclosed location for the release of the ministers and said that the situation &quot;is no longer an internal Spanish affair&quot;.

&quot;The international community, and especially the European community, must realise the danger these attitudes represent,&quot; he said.

Flight risk 
A total of 20 people including Puigdemont, Junqueras and the speaker of the Catalan regional parliament had been summoned for questioning on Thursday.

A hearing of the speaker of Catalan&#39;s parliament and five others at the Supreme Court was adjourned until November 9 after their lawyers requested more time to prepare their defence.

Puigdemont and four others with him in Belgium failed to show.

Puigdemont&#39;s Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert told Flemish television channel VRT that his client told him that the warrant &quot;has been issued against the president and four other ministers who are in Belgium.&quot;

He expected the Spanish judiciary will now send an extradition request to Belgian federal prosecutors but said Puigdemont would appeal if a Belgian judge approves the request.

In respect to his no-show at the hearing, Bekaert said his client &quot;did not find a climate conducive to testifying and it would be better to put a bit of distance between it.&quot;

In her ruling, judge Lamela said she had ordered preventive detention for those who remained because of a possible flight risk.

&quot;Let&#39;s remember that some of the defendants have already gone to other countries, dodging possible penal responsibilities,&quot; she wrote.

A ninth former minister, who resigned last Friday, was also remanded in custody but will be set free if he pays bail of 50,000 euros ($58,000).

Independence drive 
Catalan demands for independence date back centuries but have surged in recent years, in part due to a difficult economic situation.

Puigdemont&#39;s government organised an independence referendum on October 1 despite a court ban.

Spanish police tried and failed to stop it, in some cases firing rubber bullets at people defending polling stations.

A declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament followed last Friday.

But that same day, Rajoy dismissed the regional government, imposing direct rule on Catalonia and called regional elections for December 21.

&#39;Failed state&#39; 
Marta Rovira, a lawyer and Catalan separatist lawmaker, briefly broke down in tears as she spoke to reporters in Madrid after the announcement of the detentions.

&quot;The Spanish state is a failed state, a state that has failed democratically,&quot; she said. &quot;I&#39;m convinced we won&#39;t surrender, we won&#39;t, we will fight until the end.&quot;

But Catalans, fiercely proud of their language and culture, remain deeply divided about independence, polls indicate.

The European Union has swung firmly behind Rajoy. Spain&#39;s central bank warned Thursday of a possible recession in Catalonia if the crisis continues.

In addition, there are signs of growing divisions in the separatist camp, with many unhappy with Puigdemont, particularly now he is hundreds of miles away from the region he hopes to lead to independence.

The ministers have been detained pending a potential trial for alleged sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds

A large chunk of Catalonia's deposed government was behind bars early Friday after a Spanish judge prompted fresh protests by ordering their detention pending probes into their role in the region's independence drive. Carles Puigdemont, dismissed last week as Catalan president by the Spanish government and who has since been holed up in Belgium, was issued an EU arrest warrant after failing to show at the court hearing in Madrid, his Belgian lawyer said. Also read: Spanish prosecutors seek EU arrest warrant for Puigdemont In another day of high drama in Spain's biggest crisis in decades, judge Carmen Lamela had Puigdemont's deputy and seven other deposed regional ministers detained pending a potential trial for alleged sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds. Carles Puigdemont, dismissed last week as Catalan president by the Spanish government and who has since been holed up in Belgium, was issued an EU arrest warrant after failing to show at the court hearing in Madrid, his Belgian lawyer said × With television channels showing images of police vans with flashing blue lights said to be taking the former ministers to different prisons, Catalans took to the streets in anger and disbelief. There were protests in front of the Catalan parliament in Barcelona, the regional capital, with police estimating a crowd of 20,000. Others gathered outside town halls across the region including 8,000 people in both Girona and Tarragona. Those in Barcelona held up their mobile phones like candles and waved separatist flags -- red and yellow stripes with a white star -- also holding black-and-yellow "libertad" ("freedom") signs. The crowds, who included elderly couples and young parents carrying toddlers, chanted "Free political prisoners" and "This isn't justice but dictatorship." "It makes you angry even when you don't vote for independence because every time a disproportionate measure is taken, it only fuels independence," said retired teacher Dolores, 66. Puigdemont called in a statement broadcast on Catalan TV from an undisclosed location for the release of the ministers and said that the situation "is no longer an internal Spanish affair". "The international community, and especially the European community, must realise the danger these attitudes represent," he said. Flight risk A total of 20 people including Puigdemont, Junqueras and the speaker of the Catalan regional parliament had been summoned for questioning on Thursday. A hearing of the speaker of Catalan's parliament and five others at the Supreme Court was adjourned until November 9 after their lawyers requested more time to prepare their defence. Puigdemont and four others with him in Belgium failed to show. Puigdemont's Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert told Flemish television channel VRT that his client told him that the warrant "has been issued against the president and four other ministers who are in Belgium." He expected the Spanish judiciary will now send an extradition request to Belgian federal prosecutors but said Puigdemont would appeal if a Belgian judge approves the request. In respect to his no-show at the hearing, Bekaert said his client "did not find a climate conducive to testifying and it would be better to put a bit of distance between it." In her ruling, judge Lamela said she had ordered preventive detention for those who remained because of a possible flight risk. "Let's remember that some of the defendants have already gone to other countries, dodging possible penal responsibilities," she wrote. A ninth former minister, who resigned last Friday, was also remanded in custody but will be set free if he pays bail of 50,000 euros ($58,000). Independence drive Catalan demands for independence date back centuries but have surged in recent years, in part due to a difficult economic situation. Puigdemont's government organised an independence referendum on October 1 despite a court ban. Spanish police tried and failed to stop it, in some cases firing rubber bullets at people defending polling stations. A declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament followed last Friday. But that same day, Rajoy dismissed the regional government, imposing direct rule on Catalonia and called regional elections for December 21. 'Failed state' Marta Rovira, a lawyer and Catalan separatist lawmaker, briefly broke down in tears as she spoke to reporters in Madrid after the announcement of the detentions. "The Spanish state is a failed state, a state that has failed democratically," she said. "I'm convinced we won't surrender, we won't, we will fight until the end." But Catalans, fiercely proud of their language and culture, remain deeply divided about independence, polls indicate. The European Union has swung firmly behind Rajoy. Spain's central bank warned Thursday of a possible recession in Catalonia if the crisis continues. In addition, there are signs of growing divisions in the separatist camp, with many unhappy with Puigdemont, particularly now he is hundreds of miles away from the region he hopes to lead to independence.

Spanish judge jails 8 ex-Catalan ministers, fresh protests erupt

Today many citizens either don&rsquo;t understand the value of independence or are not inclined to value the national symbols. In these times of apathy, it is important to remember the struggle of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. 
&nbsp; 
To understand his contribution to the nation we need to have a deep understanding of our own history. For the most part of the last millennia, India was subjected to foreign rule. The main reason attributed to this state of affairs was our lack of unity. The land was divided into many kingdoms and invaders were quick to exploit this political fragmentation. 
&nbsp; 
Invasions left a trail of destruction and death. MA Khan in his book, Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism and Slavery, writes, &ldquo;... in 1398 the Mongol warlord Tamerlane declared jihad against India. When he reached Delhi he had hundred thousand prisoners. Before attacking Delhi he killed all of them (page 281)&rdquo;. 
 
He wasn&rsquo;t alone. In 1761, 60,000 to 70,000 Maratha soldiers died fighting the Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali in the third battle of Panipat.

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Similarly, in 1739 Iranian invader Nadir Shah resorted to the massacre in Delhi that left close to 30,000 dead. 
&nbsp; 
Death, destitution and starvation due to misrule by the British colonial rulers is today well documented. 
&nbsp; 
The reason we were subjugated by the foreign powers was our lack of political unity that could provide a cohesive resistance to any foreign invasion. 
&nbsp; 
Small kings ruled their principalities without any consideration to the larger needs of the nation and the threats our motherland faced. 
&nbsp; 
But today things have changed. A resident of Kerala joins the Indian army and readily lays down his life in Jammu &amp; Kashmir to safeguard the interests of the country. Men and women from every corner of India lay down their lives in varied theatres of action to save the integrity and unity of our nation. 
&nbsp; 
Patriotism and belief in the integrity and unity of a nation are the most important glue that holds the modern nation-state together and for this, we have only Sardar Patel to thank for. 
&nbsp; 
In 1947 when India became independent Sardar Patel was given the charge of the home ministry. At that time India had 565 princely states. The British wanted that they should remain independent so that India remained weak and fragmented. 
&nbsp; 
But Sardar Patel saw through their game and thwarted any attempts to rupture India&rsquo;s unity. Among the princely states, he had two greatest challenges - Hyderabad and Jammu &amp; Kashmir. He used his political genius to convince the Nizam of Hyderabad to join the Indian Union.

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<h5>If you want to understand how grave the situation was at the time of Independence then you must watch what is happening in Spain&rsquo;s Catalonia province today.</h5>
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Kashmir, however, was a different ball game. Even though he was the home minister he was kept away from dealing with Kashmir which was an issue close to the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. 
&nbsp; 
It is because of Sardar&rsquo;s exclusion from the affairs of the state of Jammu and Kashmir that the issue is still posing a serious problem for the country. 
&nbsp; 
If you want to understand how grave the situation was at the time of Independence then you must watch what is happening in Spain&rsquo;s Catalonia province today.

The province has declared itself independent and the Spanish government is at its wit&rsquo;s end figuring out how to tackle this crisis perpetuated by the secessionists. 
&nbsp; 
It was the same situation in India but with 565 Catalonias demanding independence, ready to secede any moment. In such a dangerous atmosphere maintaining the unity of a new nation would really have been a great challenge for the &ldquo;iron man&rdquo;.

Sardar Patel's political strategies were the reasons behind India's unification after independence from colonial rule

Today many citizens either don’t understand the value of independence or are not inclined to value the national symbols. In these times of apathy, it is important to remember the struggle of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. To understand his contribution to the nation we need to have a deep understanding of our own history. For the most part of the last millennia, India was subjected to foreign rule. The main reason attributed to this state of affairs was our lack of unity. The land was divided into many kingdoms and invaders were quick to exploit this political fragmentation. Invasions left a trail of destruction and death. MA Khan in his book, Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism and Slavery, writes, “... in 1398 the Mongol warlord Tamerlane declared jihad against India. When he reached Delhi he had hundred thousand prisoners. Before attacking Delhi he killed all of them (page 281)”. He wasn’t alone. In 1761, 60,000 to 70,000 Maratha soldiers died fighting the Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali in the third battle of Panipat. The reason we(India) were subjugated by the foreign powers was our lack of political unity that could provide a cohesive resistance to any foreign invasion. × Similarly, in 1739 Iranian invader Nadir Shah resorted to the massacre in Delhi that left close to 30,000 dead. Death, destitution and starvation due to misrule by the British colonial rulers is today well documented. The reason we were subjugated by the foreign powers was our lack of political unity that could provide a cohesive resistance to any foreign invasion. Small kings ruled their principalities without any consideration to the larger needs of the nation and the threats our motherland faced. But today things have changed. A resident of Kerala joins the Indian army and readily lays down his life in Jammu & Kashmir to safeguard the interests of the country. Men and women from every corner of India lay down their lives in varied theatres of action to save the integrity and unity of our nation. Patriotism and belief in the integrity and unity of a nation are the most important glue that holds the modern nation-state together and for this, we have only Sardar Patel to thank for. In 1947 when India became independent Sardar Patel was given the charge of the home ministry. At that time India had 565 princely states. The British wanted that they should remain independent so that India remained weak and fragmented. But Sardar Patel saw through their game and thwarted any attempts to rupture India’s unity. Among the princely states, he had two greatest challenges - Hyderabad and Jammu & Kashmir. He used his political genius to convince the Nizam of Hyderabad to join the Indian Union. If you want to understand how grave the situation was at the time of Independence then you must watch what is happening in Spain’s Catalonia province today. × Kashmir, however, was a different ball game. Even though he was the home minister he was kept away from dealing with Kashmir which was an issue close to the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It is because of Sardar’s exclusion from the affairs of the state of Jammu and Kashmir that the issue is still posing a serious problem for the country. If you want to understand how grave the situation was at the time of Independence then you must watch what is happening in Spain’s Catalonia province today. The province has declared itself independent and the Spanish government is at its wit’s end figuring out how to tackle this crisis perpetuated by the secessionists. It was the same situation in India but with 565 Catalonias demanding independence, ready to secede any moment. In such a dangerous atmosphere maintaining the unity of a new nation would really have been a great challenge for the “iron man”.

Spain needs a leader like Sardar Patel to tackle Catalan crisis

Catalonia&#39;s deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont&nbsp;fled to&nbsp;Belgium on Monday and sought legal advice from&nbsp;a lawyer who has worked on asylum cases, as prosecutors in Spain demanded he be charged with rebellion.

The fresh twist in the secessionist crisis came as Catalans went to work for the first time since the central government imposed direct rule on the region after its parliament declared independence on Friday, with no major disruptions reported.

But as workers went about their daily business despite uncertainty generated by the declaration, a big question mark remained over Puigdemont&#39;s whereabouts.

He appeared on television on Saturday urging &quot;democratic opposition&quot; to Madrid&#39;s move to take power in the semi-autonomous northeastern region but has not been heard of since.

It eventually emerged he had travelled to Belgium, where he contacted Paul Bekaert, a lawyer who has in the past worked on asylum cases involving Spaniards in the Basque Country, once hit by decades of violence waged by armed separatist group ETA.

Speaking to Flemish television VRT on Monday, Bekaert said &quot;Mr. Puigdemont is not in Belgium to request asylum.&quot;

&quot;On this matter, nothing has yet been decided,&quot; he said, adding however that Puigdemont had appointed him as his lawyer.

Belgium&#39;s immigration minister, a member of the Flemish separatist N-VA party, suggested on Saturday that Puigdemont could receive asylum but Prime Minister Charles Michel later poured cold water on the idea.

In an interview with Catalonia&#39;s TV3 television, the region&#39;s axed vice president Oriol Junqueras said Puigdemont would explain Tuesday what he was doing in Belgium.

Rebellion, sedition accusations&nbsp;

Upping the ante in the standoff, Spain&#39;s chief prosecutor said he was seeking charges including rebellion -- punishable by up to 30 years in prison -- and sedition against the Catalan leaders who were sacked by the central government.

Jose Manuel Maza said they had &quot;caused an institutional crisis that led to the unilateral declaration of independence carried out on October 27 with total contempt for our constitution&quot;. A court now has to decide whether to bring charges.

Puigdemont maintains that the result of an independence referendum that took place on October 1 despite a court ban gave the region&#39;s parliament a mandate to declare it was breaking away from Spain.

Following this declaration, Madrid took control of the region under a previously unused &quot;nuclear option&quot; in the constitution.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called snap elections for December 21 to replace the Catalan parliament in a drastic bid to stop the secessionist drive.

Clear your desks&nbsp;

With its own language and distinct culture, Catalonia accounts for a fifth of the eurozone country&#39;s economy and had a high degree of autonomy over key sectors such as education, healthcare and the police.

On Sunday there was speculation that Catalan leaders and civil servants might seek to disrupt Madrid&#39;s move to impose direct rule once people returned to work on Monday.

Catalan police, now under orders from Madrid, were told they could allow the dismissed leaders to enter the government headquarters in Barcelona, but only to clear their desks.

But in the end, apart from one regional minister who tweeted a photo of himself at his desk, there was no major resistance.

&quot;For now everything is very quiet. People have returned to work as normal,&quot; said Joan Escanilla from the CSIF civil servants union.

Separatist parties to stand&nbsp;

Analyst Sandra Leon from York University in England told AFP that Rajoy&#39;s move to call snap elections appeared to have wrong-footed the separatist camp.

&quot;This isn&#39;t the framework they (the independence camp) had imagined of passive resistance, of mobilisation, that&#39;s changed completely,&quot; she said.

A member of Puigdemont&#39;s PDeCAT, which together with other separatist parties has a narrow majority in the Catalan parliament, said Monday that it would stand in the December election, against expectations of a possible boycott.

Junqueras said that his ERC party would also take part in the vote, which would be &quot;one more opportunity to make ourselves heard.&quot;

Whether the small far-left CUP party, an ally of Puigdemont, will also stand remains to be seen.

The international community including the European Union, struggling with Brexit and other challenges, has largely spurned the independence declaration and has united behind Madrid.

Catalonia's deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont sought legal advice in Belgium on Monday where he spoke to a lawyer who has worked on asylum cases, as prosecutors in Spain demanded he be charged with rebellion.

Catalonia's deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont fled to Belgium on Monday and sought legal advice from a lawyer who has worked on asylum cases, as prosecutors in Spain demanded he be charged with rebellion. The fresh twist in the secessionist crisis came as Catalans went to work for the first time since the central government imposed direct rule on the region after its parliament declared independence on Friday, with no major disruptions reported. But as workers went about their daily business despite uncertainty generated by the declaration, a big question mark remained over Puigdemont's whereabouts. He appeared on television on Saturday urging "democratic opposition" to Madrid's move to take power in the semi-autonomous northeastern region but has not been heard of since. It eventually emerged he had travelled to Belgium, where he contacted Paul Bekaert, a lawyer who has in the past worked on asylum cases involving Spaniards in the Basque Country, once hit by decades of violence waged by armed separatist group ETA. Speaking to Flemish television VRT on Monday, Bekaert said "Mr. Puigdemont is not in Belgium to request asylum." "On this matter, nothing has yet been decided," he said, adding however that Puigdemont had appointed him as his lawyer. Belgium's immigration minister, a member of the Flemish separatist N-VA party, suggested on Saturday that Puigdemont could receive asylum but Prime Minister Charles Michel later poured cold water on the idea. In an interview with Catalonia's TV3 television, the region's axed vice president Oriol Junqueras said Puigdemont would explain Tuesday what he was doing in Belgium. Rebellion, sedition accusations Upping the ante in the standoff, Spain's chief prosecutor said he was seeking charges including rebellion -- punishable by up to 30 years in prison -- and sedition against the Catalan leaders who were sacked by the central government. Jose Manuel Maza said they had "caused an institutional crisis that led to the unilateral declaration of independence carried out on October 27 with total contempt for our constitution". A court now has to decide whether to bring charges. Puigdemont maintains that the result of an independence referendum that took place on October 1 despite a court ban gave the region's parliament a mandate to declare it was breaking away from Spain. Following this declaration, Madrid took control of the region under a previously unused "nuclear option" in the constitution. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called snap elections for December 21 to replace the Catalan parliament in a drastic bid to stop the secessionist drive. Clear your desks With its own language and distinct culture, Catalonia accounts for a fifth of the eurozone country's economy and had a high degree of autonomy over key sectors such as education, healthcare and the police. On Sunday there was speculation that Catalan leaders and civil servants might seek to disrupt Madrid's move to impose direct rule once people returned to work on Monday. Catalan police, now under orders from Madrid, were told they could allow the dismissed leaders to enter the government headquarters in Barcelona, but only to clear their desks. But in the end, apart from one regional minister who tweeted a photo of himself at his desk, there was no major resistance. "For now everything is very quiet. People have returned to work as normal," said Joan Escanilla from the CSIF civil servants union. Separatist parties to stand Analyst Sandra Leon from York University in England told AFP that Rajoy's move to call snap elections appeared to have wrong-footed the separatist camp. "This isn't the framework they (the independence camp) had imagined of passive resistance, of mobilisation, that's changed completely," she said. A member of Puigdemont's PDeCAT, which together with other separatist parties has a narrow majority in the Catalan parliament, said Monday that it would stand in the December election, against expectations of a possible boycott. Junqueras said that his ERC party would also take part in the vote, which would be "one more opportunity to make ourselves heard." Whether the small far-left CUP party, an ally of Puigdemont, will also stand remains to be seen. The international community including the European Union, struggling with Brexit and other challenges, has largely spurned the independence declaration and has united behind Madrid.

Accused of rebellion Catalon leader 'flees to Belgium'

Spain is facing its deepest constitutional crisis since the restoration of democracy in 1977, and it&rsquo;s only getting deeper. On October 18, the Spanish government invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, beginning the process of stripping the Catalan government of its autonomy and imposing the direct federal rule. Just hours after the announcement was made by the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, 450,000 people took to the streets in protest.

Citing the Catalan government&rsquo;s &ldquo;conscious and systematic rebellion and disobedience&rdquo;, this is a heavy-handed response to Catalonia&rsquo;s recent separatist moves. Spain hardened its line when it jailed the leaders of two of the largest separatist organisations. The national attorney general has now threatened to arrest the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, and others for sedition should a further declaration of independence be issued.

These tough measures aren&rsquo;t just politically risky and pragmatically dubious, but also constitutionally untested. It is the first time that Article 155 has been invoked, allowing the government to intervene in one of Spain&rsquo;s regions if its autonomous government &ldquo;fails to fulfil the obligations imposed upon it by the constitution or other laws or acts in a way seriously prejudicing the general interests of Spain&rdquo;.

The Constitution of 1978 provides for a flexible and open framework that recognises both &ldquo;the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation&rdquo; and &ldquo;the right to autonomy of nationalities and regions&rdquo;. And while the Catalan government&rsquo;s decision to hold the October 1 referendum undoubtedly violated both the Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, the refusal of the central government to pursue dialogue with the Catalan government, and its attempts to oust democratically elected leaders and suspend regional autonomy will only deepen the antagonism between Catalonia and Madrid.

The question, then, is what an appropriate and reasonable response to this secession claim would look like. And inconveniently, this is something of a grey area.

Taking independence seriously

While international law affirms that peoples have a general right to self-determination, it provides little guidance on how that right should be exercised. It&rsquo;s particularly vague when it comes to secession, which leaves claims like the Catalans&rsquo; in something of a legal vacuum. In its Kosovo opinion of 2010, the International Court of Justice found that a unilateral declaration of independence does &ldquo;not violate general international law&rdquo;, but the specific international or domestic legal ramifications of a secessionist claim were left unclear.

The upshot is that different national governments can treat these claims almost as they see fit. The resulting ambiguity is a tricky problem, and it&rsquo;s played out vividly in two analogous independence movements: Quebec&rsquo;s and Scotland&rsquo;s.

In 1995, the Quebecois independence movement lost a referendum on independence by a mere 1.16 per cent. The result kicked off years of political talks and legal wrangling, and in 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada weighed in on whether secession claims were legitimate in principle.

It concluded that outside of a colonial context and in the absence of severe repression or exclusion from the state, there is no positive entitlement to claim statehood. But it also found that the Canadian state, at least on the basis of its own constitutional law, could not &ldquo;remain indifferent to the clear expression of a clear majority of Quebecers that they no longer wish to remain in Canada&rdquo;. Crucially, the court noted that under the Canadian constitution, the government has a duty to negotiate. Were it to refuse, that could undermine its claim to legitimacy, which could have international ramifications.

Following this logic were Quebec to vote for independence in some future referendum, that would impose a duty on the federal government and the province alike to enter into negotiations in good faith &ndash; though there would be no specific obligation to conclude the negotiations amicably.

Then there&rsquo;s Scotland. The UK Government took a similar approach to Canada, passing the Edinburgh Agreement in 2012, which granted Scottish nationalists legal authority to stage an independence referendum. They duly did so in 2014. And while that vote ultimately endorsed the status quo, had a majority been in favour of independence, it was largely accepted that the result would have been binding.

Refuse and reject

The Spanish government has chosen to pursue a different course. While the vast majority of Catalans wanted to vote in a referendum, the central authorities have been steadfast in their refusal to allow a vote, or recognise the result, and are now refusing to engage in dialogue with the Catalan authorities.

This intransigence dates back to at least 2010 when the independence campaign emerged in response to a growing dissatisfaction with current constitutional arrangements, a centralisation of the distribution of competences, and the impact of the financial crisis. With the Spanish government not responding to requests for dialogue, the Catalan authorities have for years continually invoked a &ldquo;right to decide&rdquo;, derived from a broad reading of self-determination as the right to &ldquo;democratic management of public affairs&rdquo;.

Legally speaking, it&rsquo;s a stretch to argue that the principle of self-determination guarantees the right to hold a vote on secession. Nevertheless, the principle of free political participation and representation is clearly established under international law, and it could certainly provide the basis of a demand for dialogue and negotiation where there is broad public support for independence.

Given that there is also scope for seeking dialogue under the Spanish Constitution, this latest sabre-rattling by the Spanish government is unwarranted, as are its actions in recent weeks &ndash; threats to arrest Catalan mayors, interference with civic budgets, raids on newspaper office, and mass police deployment including excessive force used by the Spanish police in attempting to prevent the Referendum taking place. These all reinforce the secessionists&rsquo; narrative of repression by an anti-Catalan Spanish regime.

For the good of Spain as a whole, a collaborative and productive dialogue needs to begin. The Spanish government&rsquo;s actions have not yet crossed the threshold of repression that would grant the Catalans a so-called &ldquo;remedial right&rdquo; of independence under international law, but its intransigent, hardline approach is inflaming tensions to no end &ndash; and enhancing the credibility of the Catalan claim.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/spains-hard-line-on-catalonia-is-no-way-to-handle-a-serious-secession-crisis-86243" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

Photo Credit: EPA

The Spanish government is dealing with the Catalonian secession movement in entirely the wrong way, its intransigent, hardline approach is inflaming tensions to no end

Spain is facing its deepest constitutional crisis since the restoration of democracy in 1977, and it’s only getting deeper. On October 18, the Spanish government invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, beginning the process of stripping the Catalan government of its autonomy and imposing the direct federal rule. Just hours after the announcement was made by the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, 450,000 people took to the streets in protest. Citing the Catalan government’s “conscious and systematic rebellion and disobedience”, this is a heavy-handed response to Catalonia’s recent separatist moves. Spain hardened its line when it jailed the leaders of two of the largest separatist organisations. The national attorney general has now threatened to arrest the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, and others for sedition should a further declaration of independence be issued. These tough measures aren’t just politically risky and pragmatically dubious, but also constitutionally untested. It is the first time that Article 155 has been invoked, allowing the government to intervene in one of Spain’s regions if its autonomous government “fails to fulfil the obligations imposed upon it by the constitution or other laws or acts in a way seriously prejudicing the general interests of Spain”. The Constitution of 1978 provides for a flexible and open framework that recognises both “the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation” and “the right to autonomy of nationalities and regions”. And while the Catalan government’s decision to hold the October 1 referendum undoubtedly violated both the Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, the refusal of the central government to pursue dialogue with the Catalan government, and its attempts to oust democratically elected leaders and suspend regional autonomy will only deepen the antagonism between Catalonia and Madrid. The question, then, is what an appropriate and reasonable response to this secession claim would look like. And inconveniently, this is something of a grey area. Taking independence seriously While international law affirms that peoples have a general right to self-determination, it provides little guidance on how that right should be exercised. It’s particularly vague when it comes to secession, which leaves claims like the Catalans’ in something of a legal vacuum. In its Kosovo opinion of 2010, the International Court of Justice found that a unilateral declaration of independence does “not violate general international law”, but the specific international or domestic legal ramifications of a secessionist claim were left unclear. The upshot is that different national governments can treat these claims almost as they see fit. The resulting ambiguity is a tricky problem, and it’s played out vividly in two analogous independence movements: Quebec’s and Scotland’s. In 1995, the Quebecois independence movement lost a referendum on independence by a mere 1.16 per cent. The result kicked off years of political talks and legal wrangling, and in 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada weighed in on whether secession claims were legitimate in principle. It concluded that outside of a colonial context and in the absence of severe repression or exclusion from the state, there is no positive entitlement to claim statehood. But it also found that the Canadian state, at least on the basis of its own constitutional law, could not “remain indifferent to the clear expression of a clear majority of Quebecers that they no longer wish to remain in Canada”. Crucially, the court noted that under the Canadian constitution, the government has a duty to negotiate. Were it to refuse, that could undermine its claim to legitimacy, which could have international ramifications. Following this logic were Quebec to vote for independence in some future referendum, that would impose a duty on the federal government and the province alike to enter into negotiations in good faith – though there would be no specific obligation to conclude the negotiations amicably. Then there’s Scotland. The UK Government took a similar approach to Canada, passing the Edinburgh Agreement in 2012, which granted Scottish nationalists legal authority to stage an independence referendum. They duly did so in 2014. And while that vote ultimately endorsed the status quo, had a majority been in favour of independence, it was largely accepted that the result would have been binding. Refuse and reject The Spanish government has chosen to pursue a different course. While the vast majority of Catalans wanted to vote in a referendum, the central authorities have been steadfast in their refusal to allow a vote, or recognise the result, and are now refusing to engage in dialogue with the Catalan authorities. This intransigence dates back to at least 2010 when the independence campaign emerged in response to a growing dissatisfaction with current constitutional arrangements, a centralisation of the distribution of competences, and the impact of the financial crisis. With the Spanish government not responding to requests for dialogue, the Catalan authorities have for years continually invoked a “right to decide”, derived from a broad reading of self-determination as the right to “democratic management of public affairs”. Legally speaking, it’s a stretch to argue that the principle of self-determination guarantees the right to hold a vote on secession. Nevertheless, the principle of free political participation and representation is clearly established under international law, and it could certainly provide the basis of a demand for dialogue and negotiation where there is broad public support for independence. Given that there is also scope for seeking dialogue under the Spanish Constitution, this latest sabre-rattling by the Spanish government is unwarranted, as are its actions in recent weeks – threats to arrest Catalan mayors, interference with civic budgets, raids on newspaper office, and mass police deployment including excessive force used by the Spanish police in attempting to prevent the Referendum taking place. These all reinforce the secessionists’ narrative of repression by an anti-Catalan Spanish regime. For the good of Spain as a whole, a collaborative and productive dialogue needs to begin. The Spanish government’s actions have not yet crossed the threshold of repression that would grant the Catalans a so-called “remedial right” of independence under international law, but its intransigent, hardline approach is inflaming tensions to no end – and enhancing the credibility of the Catalan claim. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Photo Credit: EPA

Catalonia: Spain's hard line is no way to handle a secession crisis

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