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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Catalonia’s axed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont will not return to Spain as there is a “good chance that he would be detained,” his lawyer has said. Speaking to Dutch public newscaster NOS late Tuesday, Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert said “as far as he told me, that’s not going to happen” when asked if his client would go back to Spain. “That’s because we are awaiting further reactions from the Spanish […]
by Marine Laouchez with Daniel Silva in Madrid Agence France-Presse BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Spain’s top criminal court on Tuesday summoned Catalonia’s axed separatist leader for questioning, hours after he appeared in Brussels insisting he remained the “legitimate president” of a region now under direct rule from Madrid. The National Audience in Madrid, which deals with major criminal cases, summoned Carles Puigdemont and 13 other former members of his administration, dismissed by Spain’s central government last week, […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Carles Puigdemont, who was removed from office as Catalonia’s president last week by Madrid’s central government, spoke with a lawyer in Belgium on Monday as Spanish prosecutors sought rebellion charges against the region’s separatist leaders. But Paul Bekaert, who specializes in asylum issues, said “Puigdemont is not in Belgium to request asylum,” only to prepare a legal riposte to any eventual moves by Madrid. “On this matter (asylum) nothing has yet been decided,” […]
by Daniel Bosque with Marianne Barriaux in Madrid © Agence France-Presse Barcelona, Spain | AFP Catalonia woke up Saturday under the direct control of Madrid as the Spanish prime minister took drastic measures to quash secession, deposing the region’s leaders and dissolving its parliament hours after lawmakers declared independence. In a dramatic escalation of a political crisis that has stoked alarm in Europe and sent shockwaves through Spain, Mariano Rajoy also decided to call snap Catalan elections on December […]
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) – Spain’s Senate on Friday voted to grant Madrid powers to impose direct rule on Catalonia, shortly after the semi-autonomous region’s parliament approved a motion declaring independence. Herewith are five questions about what it means to make a unilateral declaration of independence: What is a unilateral declaration of independence? Known by its acronym “UDI”, the term was first coined in 1965 when the former Rhodesia’s minority white government declared unilateral independence from British […]
by Marie Giffard with Mariette le Roux in Madrid BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Catalonia appeared to be steering for a head-on clash with Spain Wednesday after its separatist leader snubbed senators in Madrid preparing to depose his independence-seeking government before week’s end. As pro-secession activists protested in Barcelona, Carles Puigdemont turned down an invitation to address legislators in the Spanish capital on his threat of a unilateral Catalan breakaway. His refusal left little hope that Spain’s move to […]
by Alfons Luna and Marie Giffard © Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — 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 and how,” Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull said after […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Nearly 1,200 companies of all sizes have shifted their legal headquarters out of Catalonia to other parts of Spain since the region held a banned independence referendum, Spain’s commercial registrar said Friday. Between October 2, the day after the contested vote, and October 19 a total of 1,185 companies have relocated hoping to minimize instability, according to figures published by the Commercial Registries of Spain. The peak was reached on Thursday […]
by Laurence Boutreux Agence France-Presse MADRID, Spain – A far-left party which holds the balance of power in Catalonia’s parliament is using its influence to push for an immediate declaration of independence and launch a campaign of civil disobedience. With Spain threatening to seize some of the pro-independence Catalan government’s powers, the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) party has deployed its preferred weapon: street agitation. The staunchly separatist and anti-capitalist party has called for protesters to gather Thursday […]
by Katy Lee Agence France Presse MADRID, Spain — Spain said Thursday it will move to seize some of the Catalan regional government’s powers after its leader warned he could declare independence, escalating the country’s worst political crisis in decades. The central government in Madrid had given separatist leader Carles Puigdemont until 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Thursday to say whether or not he was declaring a breakaway state in the semi-autonomous region following a […]
by Marianne Barriaux with Patrick Galey in Madrid Agence France Presse Madrid on Monday gave Catalonia’s separatist leader three more days to “return to legality” after he refused to say whether he would follow through on a threat to declare independence from Spain. Responding to an initial deadline set by the central government, Carles Puigdemont sent a letter early Monday calling for talks with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy “as soon as possible” amid Spain’s worst […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — The euro held gains Wednesday after Catalonia’s leader stepped back from the brink in a standoff with Spain over independence while Asian markets pushed higher following another record close on Wall Street. The single currency has come under strain since Catalans voted in an unofficial referendum on October 1 to break away from Madrid, fuelling fears about one of the eurozone’s biggest economies. The region’s leader Carles Puigdemont signed a […]
