Tag: Spain

• Friday, November 3rd 2017 - 08:12 UTC

  Ex members of Catalonian government jailed by Spanish prosecution; Puigdemont remains in Belgium

  

  A Spanish judge has ordered nine ex-members of the government in Catalonia jailed while they are investigated on possible charges of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement.

• Thursday, November 2nd 2017 - 09:01 UTC

  The silent majority of Catalonia and the December 21st election-referendum

  

  By Gwynne Dyer - It's been going on for a while. “Recently in Catalonia we have been living through a kind of 'soft' totalitarianism...the illusion of unanimity created by the fear of expressing dissent,” wrote best-selling Catalan author Javier Cercas in the Spanish newspaper El País in 2014. Those who didn't want independence kept their heads down and their mouths shut, in other words.

• Tuesday, October 31st 2017 - 07:21 UTC

  Catalonia returns to normal; sacked president Puigdemont in Belgium

  

  Sacked Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has gone to Belgium, a lawyer he has hired there says. The lawyer, Paul Bekaert, did not comment on reports that Puigdemont could be preparing an asylum claim.

• Monday, October 30th 2017 - 06:29 UTC

  Hundreds of thousands march in Barcelona in support of a united Spain

  

  Hundreds of thousands who want Catalonia to remain part of Spain have rallied in Barcelona, two days after separatists voted for the wealthy region to secede. Organizers said the goal of Sunday’s march’s was to defend Spain’s unity and reject “an unprecedented attack in the history of democracy”.

• Saturday, October 28th 2017 - 08:11 UTC

  Western world leaders rally behind Rajoy and support Spain's territorial integrity

  

  Leaders from the world have largely rallied behind Spain's central government after the Catalan parliament voted in favor of splitting from Madrid and establishing an independent republic. Spanish president Mariano Rajoy on Friday announced the dissolution of the Catalan parliament and called for snap regional elections in a swift response to the Catalan MPs' declaration for independence.

• Friday, October 27th 2017 - 17:13 UTC

  Catalonia and Madrid double the stakes and move into unchartered waters

  

  Spain's Senate on Friday authorized the government to apply constitutional measures to take control of the government of Catalonia. A majority of senators gave Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy the go-ahead through Article 155 of the constitution to apply unprecedented measures, including sacking Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet. It also authorized him to curtail Catalan parliamentary powers.

• Friday, October 27th 2017 - 15:28 UTC

  Spain:“Article 155 will mark the beginning of the end of disobedience of the law”

  

  The Spanish Senate is poised to activate Article 155 of the country’s constitution on Friday, giving Madrid the power to take over Catalonia’s institutions and police and remove its regional leader from office.

• Thursday, October 26th 2017 - 05:47 UTC

  Catalonia to appeal Rajoy's measures; if not successful it will pursue the case in international courts

  

  Catalonia’s political leaders intend to bring a legal challenge to prevent the Spanish government from removing them from office and taking over running the region to stop its push for independence, a spokesman has said.

• Wednesday, October 25th 2017 - 09:54 UTC

  Catalan parliament convened for Thursday to respond to Madrid

  

  The ruling Catalan separatist coalition has said the regional parliament will hold a meeting on Thursday which many fear will become a cover for a vote on declaring independence from Spain.

• Tuesday, October 24th 2017 - 07:05 UTC

  Catalonia representatives anticipate civil disobedience against Madrid

  

  Representatives of the government and parliament in Catalonia have warned that civil disobedience may be possible if Madrid actually triggered the constitutional clause stopping the autonomous rights of the region.