abroad

New external affairs minister to call on Spanish counterpart to help stranded travelers find return flight for "reasonable" price

Catalonia will open new offices in Argentina, Mexico and Tunisia

Confidential communications between the Catalan government and its delegations abroad intercepted, say TV3 and eldiario.es

Madrid asks Catalan high court to suspend delegations in Berlin, London, and Geneva

Catalonia will have a total of 11 delegations abroad

As Ernest Maragall hands over to Alfred Bosch, his department will launch plan to recover Catalonia's lost influence in EU

Marta Rovira, ERC party leader, traveled to Switzerland nine months ago to avoid entering prison

Gonzalo Boye maintains leaving country to resist extradition from abroad was "a good idea"

A recent report finds an extra 41,000 people under 34 have left the country since 2009

Foreign affairs minister says “within six months” Catalonia will have more offices in other countries than when before Spain shut down all but one with direct rule

Ernest Maragall says offices in large world cities could be operational again in “two or three weeks”

Delegate in Catalonia’s letter to mayors asking for “neutrality” in public spaces, latest effort to stop solidarity trend

One of Catalonia’s most beloved festivals, Sant Jordi, will be celebrated in a record 50 countries worldwide this year. Although Catalonia’s Patron Saint Day is on the 23^rd of April, there are activities related to books and roses—the main protagonists of the day—scheduled over the course of a few weeks in New York, Bogotá, London, Melbourne, Johannesburg, and many others. The Delegations of the Catalan Government abroad play a key role in exporting Sant Jordi around the world. Also active is the Institut Ramon Llull (IRL), which is a public institution in charge of promoting Catalan culture and language, and the University Network of Catalan Studies Abroad. Thus, exhibitions, public readings, stalls selling books and roses, and elements of Catalan culture, such as traditional human towers (Castellers), will deliver the spirit of Sant Jordi all over the globe.

Catalonia will have three new delegations abroad and their directors have already been appointed. Manuel Manonelles, International Relations’professor at the Universitat Ramon Llull, will be the Catalan Government delegate in Geneva, one of the cities that boasts the highest number of international institutions. The relationship between Catalonia and Poland and with the Baltic countries will be strengthened with a new delegation based in Warsaw led by Ewa Adela Cylwik. Specializing in Constitutional Law and Human Rights, Cylwik was born in Warswaw and speaks German, Russian, English, Spanish, and Catalan, in addition to Polish. The Catalan delegation in Scandinavia will be located in Copenhagen and will be led by Francesca Guardiola who has more than 30 years experience in public administration. Counting these new delegations, Catalonia will have a total of ten offices abroad; in the UK and Ireland, Brussels, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal, the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Catalans living abroad will have access to medical care through a new medical card whenever they travel home. Such was the agreement reached this Monday between Catalonia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raül Romeva, the Health Department, the Department for Labour and Social Affairs, and the Department for Culture. This new medical card will be valid for two months and could be extended with proper justification. Those eligible for the card must apply for it and then activate it while in Catalonia, either by calling 061 or going to their corresponding health clinic. The agreement will also allow Catalans living abroad to access services related to the culture and youth services. Catalonia’s Minister for Health, Toni Comín, explained that this agreement covers what the law for universal access to health care will guarantee once it is passed by the Parliament.