Catalan president forms new government

Quim Torra, the newly inaugurated Catalan president, has paved the way for an end to direct rule in the region by Madrid by forming a new government.

Spain’s central government earlier this month refused to ratify Torra’s choice of councillors as four of them are facing charges linked to last year’s independence drive, calling their appointment ‘a provocation’, according to Spanish media reports.

Torra’s predecessor, Carles Puigdemont, is currently in Germany awaiting potential extradition to Spain on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds. Torra, a hard-line separatist who views himself as a stand-in for Puigdemont, had drafted a list of cabinet members that included Lluís Puig and Toni Comín, who are fugitives from justice, and Jordi Turull and Josep Rull, who are in custody awaiting trial over rebellion and misuse of public funds, reports El Pais.

Like Puigdemont, these four do not form part of the new government, which consists of six women and eight men.

By choosing different officials who are not wanted by the law or in jail, Torra will now be able to form a new government and end the application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which has paved the way for Madrid to take control of the region’s autonomous powers, according to El Pais.

But tensions between the Spanish and Catalan governments are expected to continue as the Spanish government is unlikely to accept the new government line-up.

Translated by prosa.fo.