Catalans slam 'authoritarianism', defend Puigdemont

By Hasan Esen

MADRID (AA) – Catalonia’s regional parliament on Thursday slammed Spain’s "shift towards authoritarianism," insisting that fugitive Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont -- who remains in exile in Belgium -- is their legitimate leader.

The parliament approved a symbolic motion recognizing the legitimacy of Puigdemont for the regional presidency in its first session since elections in December.

But the motion -- which underlines the importance of establishing an effective regional government -- stopped short of validating Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence on Oct. 27, 2017.

Spanish media reported Thursday that Puigdemont will withdraw his candidacy for the presidency of the northeastern region of Spain.

Last month, Puigdemont announced that he would establish a "government in exile" in Brussels.

He fled to Belgium to avoid prison after a political crisis erupted in the wake of an independence referendum by the Catalan regional government on Oct. 1 last year which the Spanish central government had declared illegal.

If he returns to Spain, he will automatically be arrested, as he faces serious charges of rebellion and sedition for leading the Catalan parliament to declare independence last October.