The speaker of Catalonia’s parliament defended ousted separatist president Carles Puigdemont on Wednesday as the region’s legitimate leader, as question marks remain over how he will be able to take power from self-exile in Belgium. “President Puigdemont has every right… to be voted in,” Roger Torrent told reporters after meeting Puigdemont in Brussels despite efforts by Spain’s central government to prevent the talks. Puigdemont has said he could be sworn in remotely from Brussels, a plan Spain’s central government opposes. – Direct control –Puigdemont went to Belgium at the end of October after the Catalan parliament declared independence. Catalonia’s official representative in Brussels has been under the authority of Madrid since Spain’s central government placed the region under its direct control.

Source: The Guardian January 24, 2018 16:52 UTC