Spain’s prime minister warned Monday that Madrid would maintain unpopular direct control of Catalonia if the former regional leader Carles Puigdemont tries to govern again from exile in Belgium. Puigdemont is the separatist camp’s favoured candidate to lead Catalonia again after pro-independence parties won an absolute majority in December regional elections. If that is allowed – and legal experts doubt this can be done – Puigdemont would then have to officially take office from Belgium and could try to govern the region remotely. Direct rule on Catalonia is very unpopular in a region that enjoyed considerable autonomy before its leaders attempted to break away from Spain. This prompted Rajoy to take control of the region, sack its government, dissolve its parliament and call the snap December elections.

Source: Punch January 15, 2018 12:00 UTC