Spain will pardon the jailed Catalan separatists behind a failed 2017 independence bid, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Monday, in a move that could turn the page on a years-long political impasse over the region’s separatist drive. The Socialist premier said his government had “opted for reconciliation” and believes the controversial pardon — which will […]
Catalonia
Man dies trapped inside dinosaur statue in Spain
A 40-year-old man died after becoming trapped inside a large statue of a dinosaur in a Barcelona suburb, Spanish police said Tuesday. It is not clear why the man went inside the decorative stegosaurus located outside a disused cinema in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, but there is no suspicion of foul play, said a spokeswoman […]
A new government to be formed by Catalan separatist parties
Catalonia’s two main separatist parties said Monday they had reached an agreement on forming a new coalition government, more than two months since a regional election. The wealthy northeastern region of Spain has since 2015 been governed by a coalition made up of the leftist ERC and the more hardline “Together for Catalonia”. In a […]
Spain issues arrest warrant for Catalonia’s deposed separatist leader
A Spanish judge issued an EU arrest warrant for Catalonia’s deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Friday, 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 […]
Spanish judge to grill Catalan separatists – except Puigdemont
Spain is set for another day of high drama in the Catalonia crisis on Thursday with a judge in Madrid to grill the deposed leaders of the region’s separatist government. Notable by his likely absence, however, will be the dismissed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who is in Brussels and according to his lawyer refusing to […]
Real Madrid beaten in Girona as Catalan crisis continues
Goals from Cristhian Stuani and Portu in four second-half minutes cancelled out Isco’s opener for Madrid as Real fell eight points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after just 10 games. Madrid were making their first appearance in the deeply divided region since a violence marred October 1 referendum plunged Spain into political crisis. As a […]
Catalan parties discuss next move after Spain raises stakes
Catalan parties were due to meet Monday to discuss their next steps at the start of a week that will see Spain dismiss the region’s government to stave off its threat to break away from the country. “What happens now, with everyone in agreement and unity, is that we will announce what we will do […]
Decision day for Catalonia’s separatist leader
Catalonia’s separatist leader Carles Puigdemont must abandon his bid for independence from Spain on Thursday or face an unprecedented move by Madrid to seek a suspension of his region’s autonomy. Puigdemont, who sparked Spain’s worst political crisis in decades by holding a banned independence referendum on October 1, has been ordered by Madrid to say […]
Senior separatists held as Madrid piles pressure on Catalonia
A Spanish court has ordered two powerful Catalan separatists to be detained, threatening a further escalation of the political crisis Tuesday as both sides refuse to budge in their high-stakes standoff over the region’s independence bid. Protests broke out in Catalonia’s capital Barcelona on Monday as news spread that Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez were […]
Catalan leader stalls on independence drive
Catalonia’s separatist leader on Monday refused to say whether he had declared independence from Spain, calling for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to settle the country’s worst political crisis in a generation. Responding to a Monday morning deadline set by the central government to clarify his position, Carles Puigdemont called for talks […]