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Articles for Catalonia, search results for political

Fugitive ex-Catalan leader plans return to Spain despite threat of arrest over failed secession bid
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Fugitive ex-Catalan leader plans return to Spain despite threat of arrest over failed secession bid

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of Catalonia who fled Spain after organizing an illegal independence referendum in the wealthy Spanish region seven years ago, announced that he plans to return home on Thursday despite the likelihood of being arrested on his return. Puigdemont, 61, who fled to Belgium after the breakaway bid in October 2017 quickly collapsed, …

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Spain passes bill granting amnesty to Catalan secessionists
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Spain passes bill granting amnesty to Catalan secessionists

Al Jazeera  

Act of pardon draws a line under political turmoil set off by secessionist drive, but could face further legal hurdles. Spain’s parliament has greenlighted a bill granting amnesty to hundreds of Catalan secessionists involved in a botched breakaway bid seven years ago. The controversial bill, passed 177-172 on Thursday, will see courts annul the legal records of hundreds of officials …

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Spain’s Socialists hail ‘new era’ in Catalonia following election win
7 months, 1 week ago

Spain’s Socialists hail ‘new era’ in Catalonia following election win

Al Jazeera  

An endorsement of PM Sanchez’s bid to normalise relations, the victory breaks a decade-long majority for separatists. The governing Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party has won Catalonia’s regional parliamentary elections, breaking the majority enjoyed by pro-independence parties for more than a decade. However, with the Socialists having increased their number of seats by nine, it is thought the party’s local leader …

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How far has Spain moved past Catalonia’s secession crisis? Voters will decide in regional election
7 months, 1 week ago

How far has Spain moved past Catalonia’s secession crisis? Voters will decide in regional election

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s fugitive former leader, stares confidently out the backseat window of a car, the sun illuminating his gaze in a campaign poster for Sunday’s critical elections in the northeastern Spanish region. The image plays on another one imagined from six years prior when Puigdemont hid in the trunk of a car as he was snuck …

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Fugitive Catalan chief Puigdemont pledges he will return to Spain if he can be restored to power
9 months ago

Fugitive Catalan chief Puigdemont pledges he will return to Spain if he can be restored to power

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of the Spanish region of Catalonia who fled the country after a failed secession attempt six years ago, said Thursday that he will return to Spain if he has a viable chance to be restored as regional president following upcoming elections. “The countdown until my return begins today.” It appears that Puigdemont …

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Spain approves amnesty for Catalan separatists, but adiós to hopes it would bolster weak government
9 months, 1 week ago

Spain approves amnesty for Catalan separatists, but adiós to hopes it would bolster weak government

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has kept his part of a bargain struck last year with Catalonia’s separatists to keep him in power by pushing through a divisive amnesty bill. The passing of the amnesty bill by Spain’s Parliament in the capital of Madrid by a vote of 178-172 on Thursday was supposed to provide a boost …

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Divisive Catalan amnesty bill clears parliamentary hurdle in Spain
9 months, 1 week ago

Divisive Catalan amnesty bill clears parliamentary hurdle in Spain

Al Jazeera  

The bill seeks to draw a line under years of efforts to prosecute those involved in the 2017 botched secession bid. Spain’s lower house of parliament has approved an amnesty bill aimed at forgiving crimes – proven and alleged – by Catalan separatists during a chaotic attempt to hold an independence referendum in the region six years ago. However, the …

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Spanish parliament approves controversial amnesty for Catalan separatists
9 months, 1 week ago

Spanish parliament approves controversial amnesty for Catalan separatists

LA Times  

Front row, from left, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Deputy Prime Ministers Maria Jesus Montero and Yolanda Diaz in parliament in Madrid on Thursday. Spain’s Parliament approved on Thursday a controversial amnesty bill aimed at forgiving crimes — both proved and alleged — committed by Catalan separatists during a chaotic attempt to hold an independence referendum in the region …

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Catalonia calls an early regional election that could add to Spain’s political uncertainty
9 months, 1 week ago

Catalonia calls an early regional election that could add to Spain’s political uncertainty

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — The regional president of Catalonia has called an early election for May 12 after his minority government failed to pass a budget for Spain’s wealthy northeast region that includes Barcelona. The move by Pere Aragonès on Wednesday came on the eve of a vote in Spain’s national parliament on a contentious amnesty law that could pardon hundreds …

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Spain’s Pedro Sánchez beat the odds to stay prime minister. Now he must keep his government in power
1 year, 1 month ago

Spain’s Pedro Sánchez beat the odds to stay prime minister. Now he must keep his government in power

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez pulled off his latest feat of political survival to get reelected as prime minister with an absolute majority in a highly fragmented parliament. “This government has the possibility of lasting because it is very difficult, almost impossible, for a no-confidence motion against it to succeed,” said Oriol Bartomeus, professor of political science …

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Spain’s Socialists will grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in return for support of new government
1 year, 1 month ago

Spain’s Socialists will grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in return for support of new government

Associated Press  

MADRID — Spain’s Socialist Party has struck a deal with a fringe Catalan separatist party to grant an amnesty for potentially thousands of people involved in the region’s failed secession bid in exchange for its backing of acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in forming a new government. An amnesty has been the crucial part of difficult negotiations by representatives …

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Spain offers Catalan separatists amnesty in exchange for support of Socialist government
1 year, 1 month ago

Spain offers Catalan separatists amnesty in exchange for support of Socialist government

LA Times  

Spain’s Socialist party has struck a deal with a fringe Catalan separatist party to grant an amnesty for potentially thousands of people involved in the region’s failed secession bid in exchange for its key backing of acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in forming a new government. An amnesty has been the crucial part of difficult negotiations by representatives of …

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A fugitive Catalan separatist may hold the key to Spain’s government after an inconclusive election
1 year, 4 months ago

A fugitive Catalan separatist may hold the key to Spain’s government after an inconclusive election

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — Nearly six years ago, the leader of Catalonia’s failed secession bid slipped secretly across the Spanish border to escape arrest and start a life as a self-styled political exile. Puigdemont’s Junts party will hold seven seats, whose support — even in the form of an abstention instead of a “Yes” vote — could be enough to give …

Spain Political Barcelona Election Party Separatist Sánchez
A fugitive Catalan separatist may hold the key to Spain's government after an inconclusive election
1 year, 4 months ago

A fugitive Catalan separatist may hold the key to Spain's government after an inconclusive election

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Puigdemont’s Junts party will hold seven seats, whose support …

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Spain’s election Sunday pits 2 leftist vs. 2 rightist parties. Here’s a look at the leaders
1 year, 5 months ago

Spain’s election Sunday pits 2 leftist vs. 2 rightist parties. Here’s a look at the leaders

Associated Press  

MADRID — Spain’s elections Sunday will be a battle between two leftist and two rightist parties that are teaming up to form potential coalitions. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister since 2018, is facing reelection with recent ballots and most of polls against him. Share Share Copy Link …

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Spain’s political escape artist Pedro Sánchez has odds against him yet again in national election
1 year, 5 months ago

Spain’s political escape artist Pedro Sánchez has odds against him yet again in national election

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been prematurely counted out more than once in his relatively short but action-packed political career. If that comes about, Spain would follow a European drift to the right and put in question the two main pillars of Sánchez’s leftist government — the green energy revolution backed by the European Union and …

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Spain’s snap vote: Catalans fear right-wing takeover
1 year, 5 months ago

Spain’s snap vote: Catalans fear right-wing takeover

Al Jazeera  

Final opinion polls project that the right-wing PP party will win a majority in a coalition with the far-right Vox. Madrid, Spain – Should polls prove correct and far-right Vox party form part of a future Spanish government after next Sunday’s snap general elections, it is not just pro-independence political parties that risk being banned: even Catalan language magazines in …

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Spain vows to be transparent in probe of Pegasus spyware use
2 years, 7 months ago

Spain vows to be transparent in probe of Pegasus spyware use

Associated Press  

MADRID — Spanish authorities are pledging full transparency as they launch inquiries into allegations that the phones of dozens of supporters of Catalan independence were hacked with powerful and controversial spyware only sold to government agencies. An internal probe by the country’s intelligence agency, a special parliamentary commission to share its results, and a separate investigation by Spain’s ombudsman will …

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Spanish government pardons nine Catalan separatist leaders
3 years, 6 months ago

Spanish government pardons nine Catalan separatist leaders

Al Jazeera  

Madrid says its controversial move is aimed at diffusing a years-long political crisis, but some dismiss the pardons as a stunt. Spain’s government has issued formal pardons for nine Catalan separatist leaders imprisoned for their part in a failed 2017 independence bid. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Tuesday’s move was needed to diffuse longstanding tensions in Catalonia, where the referendum-fuelled …

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AP Interview: Salvador Illa, Catalonia’s quiet gamechanger
3 years, 10 months ago

AP Interview: Salvador Illa, Catalonia’s quiet gamechanger

Associated Press  

BARCELONA, Spain — As the head of Spain’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Salvador Illa transformed from a mostly unknown, bespectacled civil servant into a household figure who won both accolades and criticism for his level-headed, soft-spoken approach. Critics of Illa believe Spain’s response to the pandemic was too slow and disorganized and claim he used the Health Ministry, which …

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Spain’s top court rules to remove Catalan chief from office
4 years, 2 months ago

Spain’s top court rules to remove Catalan chief from office

Associated Press  

MADRID — Catalonia’s outgoing regional president has called on voters to advance the cause of separatism from Spain after the country’s Supreme Court barred him from office for disobeying the country’s electoral law. The top court’s ruling earlier on Monday upheld a previous decision to remove Quim Torra as the chief of the northeastern region for refusing to remove a …

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