‘Fugitive’ Catalan separatist keeps Spain waiting on new government

Carles Puigdemont, the exiled Catalan separatist, will force Spain to wait until the 11th hour before he reveals which party he is backing, which would end weeks of political deadlock and enable the country to form a new government.

Any prospect of an end to the impasse that has gripped Madrid since the elections last month is said to “depend on a fugitive from justice”, with Puigdemont holding the balance of power with his party, Together for Catalonia, known as Junts, which has six seats in parliament.

Parliament reconvenes tomorrow to vote on the election of a new speaker, firing the first salvo in what is expected to be weeks of fighting over the formation of a new government. If this proves impossible, Spain will