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 A Spanish court has ordered eight police officials to be put under formal investigation over their alleged role in a violent crackdown against a banned 2017 independence referendum in Catalonia, according to a ruling published Thursday. https://www.thelocal.es/20190906/eight-police-officers-to-be-investigated-over-violence-at-catalan-referendum-polls Fri, 06 Sep 2019 12:36:16 +0200 eight-police-officers-to-be-investigated-over-violence-at-catalan-referendum-polls Spanish security officials have defended their handling of a banned independence referendum in Catalonia, saying police had no choice but to use the kind of force captured in violent mages were flashed around the world in 2017. https://www.thelocal.es/20190306/spanish-police-give-their-version-of-catalan-referendum-violence Wed, 06 Mar 2019 19:13:31 +0100 spanish-police-give-their-version-of-catalan-referendum-violence Catalonia's parliament is to hold a debate and vote Thursday on a new candidate for regional president, Jordi Turull, who risks being disqualified from holding office over his role in the region's separatist drive. https://www.thelocal.es/20180322/catalan-parliament-to-vote-on-new-president Thu, 22 Mar 2018 10:15:19 +0100 catalan-parliament-to-vote-on-new-president In self-exile in Belgium and wanted in Spain, Catalonia's deposed leader Carles Puigdemont abandoned his bid to return as regional president Thursday in an attempt to unblock the region's political crisis. https://www.thelocal.es/20180302/exiled-puigdemont-abandons-bid-to-return-as-catalan-leader Fri, 02 Mar 2018 10:08:19 +0100 exiled-puigdemont-abandons-bid-to-return-as-catalan-leader A Spanish court on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant valid only in Spain for a former Catalan MP who is in self-imposed exile in Switzerland to avoid jail while she is investigated over her role in the region's secession drive. https://www.thelocal.es/20180221/spain-court-orders-arrest-of-self-exiled-catalan-separatist Wed, 21 Feb 2018 17:49:00 +0100 spain-court-orders-arrest-of-self-exiled-catalan-separatist A former Catalan lawmaker and major figure in the region's secession attempt has fled to Switzerland ahead of a court hearing in Madrid, comparing the situation in Catalonia to Turkey's post-coup crackdown. https://www.thelocal.es/20180220/leading-catalan-separatist-flees-to-switzerland-to-evade-justice Tue, 20 Feb 2018 11:24:04 +0100 leading-catalan-separatist-flees-to-switzerland-to-evade-justice A Spanish judge on Monday allowed leading Catalan separatist Marta Rovira, who faces charges over her region's independence bid, to walk free but ordered her to post bail of €60,000 ($75,000), a source close to the case said. https://www.thelocal.es/20180219/leading-catalan-separatist-walks-free-on-bail Mon, 19 Feb 2018 16:20:17 +0100 leading-catalan-separatist-walks-free-on-bail Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Monday vowed to form a new government despite "threats" from the central government in Madrid, after a Spanish judge refused to re-issue a European warrant for his arrest. https://www.thelocal.es/20180122/catalan-parliament-speaker-proposes-puigdemont-as-regions-president Mon, 22 Jan 2018 13:29:54 +0100 catalan-parliament-speaker-proposes-puigdemont-as-regions-president Catalonia's former leader Carles Puigdemont, who was sacked by Madrid over his attempt to break from Spain, said Friday he can govern the region from Belgium where he is in self-exile as he eyes a comeback after scoring big in elections. https://www.thelocal.es/20180119/ex-catalan-leader-says-can-govern-from-belgium Fri, 19 Jan 2018 15:48:49 +0100 ex-catalan-leader-says-can-govern-from-belgium The two largest pro-independence parties in Catalonia said Tuesday they had agreed to nominate sacked regional leader Carles Puigdemont for president, despite his self-imposed exile in Belgium and Madrid's insistence he cannot rule remotely. https://www.thelocal.es/20180117/pro-separatist-catalan-parties-back-ex-leader-for-top-job Wed, 17 Jan 2018 10:25:10 +0100 pro-separatist-catalan-parties-back-ex-leader-for-top-job The separatist party behind Catalonia's deposed president Carles Puigdemont said Friday it is determined to re-elect him remotely as the region's leader, even though he is in Belgian exile and Madrid has warned against such a move. https://www.thelocal.es/20180113/ex-catalan-leaders-party-pledges-to-re-elect-him-remotely Sat, 13 Jan 2018 12:44:57 +0100 ex-catalan-leaders-party-pledges-to-re-elect-him-remotely Spain's government will go to the country's Constitutional Court if Catalonia's former president Carles Puigdemont, in exile in Belgium, attempts to be re-elected into office from abroad, a government source said Thursday. https://www.thelocal.es/20180112/spain-to-oppose-ex-catalan-leader-being-re-elected-from-belgium-exile Fri, 12 Jan 2018 10:55:16 +0100 spain-to-oppose-ex-catalan-leader-being-re-elected-from-belgium-exile Separatist parties have a majority in the Catalan parliament which should allow them to govern the region but their favoured candidate Carles Puigdemont, in self-imposed exile, faces a tough path ahead to return as president. https://www.thelocal.es/20180108/puigdemont-or-not-catalan-independence-camp-has-to-choose Mon, 08 Jan 2018 15:00:38 +0100 puigdemont-or-not-catalan-independence-camp-has-to-choose Spain's Supreme Court on Thursday considered an appeal by former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras against his jailing while he is investigated for rebellion and sedition over the region's independence drive. https://www.thelocal.es/20180104/jailed-catalan-ex-vice-president-in-court-to-seek-release Thu, 04 Jan 2018 16:04:29 +0100 jailed-catalan-ex-vice-president-in-court-to-seek-release With one candidate speaking via video conference from Belgium and another sending dispatches from prison, Catalan separatists are engaged in a highly abnormal campaign ahead of pivotal elections on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.es/20171217/from-belgium-and-jail-with-love-the-surreal-catalan-campaign Sun, 17 Dec 2017 10:22:34 +0100 from-belgium-and-jail-with-love-the-surreal-catalan-campaign A long-running conflict between Madrid and Barcelona over Catalonia's independence drive is annoying voters in the rest of Spain who feel their concerns are being neglected. https://www.thelocal.es/20171215/how-does-the-rest-of-spain-feel-about-catalan-independence-demands Fri, 15 Dec 2017 15:12:38 +0100 how-does-the-rest-of-spain-feel-about-catalan-independence-demands The Catalan economy, one of the most dynamic among Spain's regions, has stalled this autumn during the independence push by its leaders, though analysts aren't yet sure about the long-term consequences. https://www.thelocal.es/20171215/explainer-what-the-independence-drive-is-doing-to-the-catalan-economy Fri, 15 Dec 2017 11:41:56 +0100 explainer-what-the-independence-drive-is-doing-to-the-catalan-economy A Belgian court formally closed extradition proceedings against deposed Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Thursday, after Spain dropped the European arrest warrant against him. https://www.thelocal.es/20171214/belgium-ends-extradition-case-against-catalan-leader Thu, 14 Dec 2017 15:10:47 +0100 belgium-ends-extradition-case-against-catalan-leader A Spanish judge who is investigating ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his fallen government has expanded the probe to include more separatist leaders ahead of elections next week. https://www.thelocal.es/20171213/spanish-judge-expands-probe-into-catalan-separatists Wed, 13 Dec 2017 10:17:10 +0100 spanish-judge-expands-probe-into-catalan-separatists Spain has withdrawn a European arrest warrant for Catalonia's sacked leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers, who fled to Belgium after the regional parliament declared unilateral independence, the Supreme Court said Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.es/20171205/spain-drops-european-arrest-warrant-for-axed-catalan-leader Tue, 05 Dec 2017 12:54:20 +0100 spain-drops-european-arrest-warrant-for-axed-catalan-leader