https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Spain has given Catalonia's separatist leader until October 16th to clarify whether he intends to push ahead with independence, warning that Madrid could take control of the region if it insisted on breaking away. https://www.thelocal.es/20171012/spain-sets-deadline-in-catalan-independence-dispute Thu, 12 Oct 2017 10:19:50 +0200 spain-sets-deadline-in-catalan-independence-dispute Spain's government and main opposition Socialists have agreed to study reforming the constitution to try to end the crisis in Catalonia, the leader of the Socialists said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20171011/spanish-government-and-opposition-agree-to-study-constitutional-reform Wed, 11 Oct 2017 17:59:46 +0200 spanish-government-and-opposition-agree-to-study-constitutional-reform The European Commission called on Wednesday for "full respect of Spanish constitutional order" after Catalan leaders said they had a mandate for independence but 'suspended' the declaration in the hope of dialogue. https://www.thelocal.es/20171011/european-commission-urges-respect-for-spanish-constitution-in-catalonia-crisis Wed, 11 Oct 2017 16:06:51 +0200 european-commission-urges-respect-for-spanish-constitution-in-catalonia-crisis Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has formally asked the Catalan regional government to confirm if it has "declared the independence of Catalonia". https://www.thelocal.es/20171011/spanish-pm-rajoy-asks-catalan-government-to-clarify-if-it-declared-independence Wed, 11 Oct 2017 13:50:00 +0200 spanish-pm-rajoy-asks-catalan-government-to-clarify-if-it-declared-independence Spain is trying to make sense of a decision by Catalan regional leaders to sign a declaration of independence then immediately suspend it. Here's some of the noteworthy reaction from the Spanish press to a confusing evening. https://www.thelocal.es/20171011/a-lot-of-broken-eggs-no-tortilla-how-spains-press-reacted-to-suspended-independence-declaration Wed, 11 Oct 2017 12:37:19 +0200 a-lot-of-broken-eggs-no-tortilla-how-spains-press-reacted-to-suspended-independence-declaration Spain's foreign minister on Wednesday accused Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont of "trickery" after he suspended his declaration of independence, warning that his actions would trigger economic and social unrest. https://www.thelocal.es/20171011/spain-accuses-puigdemont-of-trickery-and-ruses Wed, 11 Oct 2017 12:11:19 +0200 spain-accuses-puigdemont-of-trickery-and-ruses Faced with Catalonian separatists' efforts to break away from Spain, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has refused to rule out imposing direct rule over the region from Madrid. https://www.thelocal.es/20171011/how-spain-could-react-to-suspended-catalan-independence-declaration Wed, 11 Oct 2017 10:35:16 +0200 how-spain-could-react-to-suspended-catalan-independence-declaration Spain's government prepared to hold crisis talks on Wednesday after Catalan leaders signed a suspended declaration of independence and called for negotiations with Madrid. https://www.thelocal.es/20171011/spain-to-hold-crisis-talks-after-catalan-leader-signs-suspended-independence-declaration Wed, 11 Oct 2017 10:01:29 +0200 spain-to-hold-crisis-talks-after-catalan-leader-signs-suspended-independence-declaration Spain's economy minister Luis de Guindos said on Tuesday that Madrid has the full support of the European Union in its response to the independence crisis in Catalonia. https://www.thelocal.es/20171010/spain-has-eu-support-on-catalan-independence-spanish-minister Tue, 10 Oct 2017 14:53:22 +0200 spain-has-eu-support-on-catalan-independence-spanish-minister The eyes of the world are on Catalonia with regional president Carles Puigdemont set to reveal his next move in the push for independence, with many predicting he will make a unilateral declaration of independence. So what would the consequences of such a declaration be? The Local consulted international and Spanish constitutional law experts for their analysis. https://www.thelocal.es/20171010/this-is-what-could-happen-if-catalonia-declares-independence Tue, 10 Oct 2017 14:17:23 +0200 this-is-what-could-happen-if-catalonia-declares-independence Catalonia's drive to secede from Spain is rekindling dreams of independence in ethnic pockets across the Balkans, a potentially dangerous ambition in a region where nationalist violence claimed tens of thousands of lives in the 1990s. https://www.thelocal.es/20171010/balkan-nationalists-take-hope-from-catalan-referendum Tue, 10 Oct 2017 12:46:42 +0200 balkan-nationalists-take-hope-from-catalan-referendum Catalan leaders say they want to remain part of the European Union in the event of independence from Spain, but the path to continuing membership or rejoining the bloc is not clear. https://www.thelocal.es/20171010/analysis-an-independent-catalonias-tricky-path-to-eu-membership Tue, 10 Oct 2017 11:34:53 +0200 analysis-an-independent-catalonias-tricky-path-to-eu-membership Catalonia, which may be poised to declare independence from Spain, is one of the powerhouses of the Spanish economy, buoyed by industry, research and tourism but burdened with heavy debt. https://www.thelocal.es/20171010/research-exports-and-tourism-power-the-catalan-economy Tue, 10 Oct 2017 11:02:27 +0200 research-exports-and-tourism-power-the-catalan-economy The Scottish National Party urged the Spanish government on Monday to "respect the overwhelming 'si' vote" in the Catalan independence referendum in a resolution at its annual conference. https://www.thelocal.es/20171009/scottish-nationalists-urge-spanish-government-to-respect-catalan-vote Mon, 09 Oct 2017 19:16:51 +0200 scottish-nationalists-urge-spanish-government-to-respect-catalan-vote Catalonia's independence referendum has plunged Spain into its most serious political crisis since a failed coup in 1981. Here is how events unfolded: https://www.thelocal.es/20171009/timeline-the-key-events-since-catalonias-independence-vote Mon, 09 Oct 2017 18:32:32 +0200 timeline-the-key-events-since-catalonias-independence-vote German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stressed her backing for the "unity of Spain" in a phone call with Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy amid a threat by Catalan separatists to declare independence, her spokesman said on Monday. https://www.thelocal.es/20171009/merkel-backs-unity-of-spain-in-call-with-rajoy Mon, 09 Oct 2017 15:13:53 +0200 merkel-backs-unity-of-spain-in-call-with-rajoy