Carles Puigdemont spoke to Catalan public radio from Belgium, where he fled to avoid a judicial probe in Spain over secession attempts. The challenge led Spanish central authorities to disband the Catalan Cabinet and call an election in the north-eastern region. Results granted the separatists a slim parliamentary majority. However, with ousted Catalan Cabinet members under investigation, jailed or in Belgium and facing arrest if they return home, the Catalan parliament’s new governing body must decide by the end of January whether to permit Mr Puigdemont’s re-election through a proxy delegate.

Source: Irish Independent January 19, 2018 12:33 UTC