Six Catalan ministers freed after 32 days in prison
They are released after paying a €100,000 bail, while four other pro-independence leaders stay behind bars
ministers
Catalan officials in Belgium and in jail face key day in court on Monday
Puigdemont and four ministers in Brussels are testifying over their extradition case while the leaders in Madrid prisons will know if they are released
“None of the arguments keeping them in prison are valid,” says Catalan officials lawyer
Defense teams of former ministers and civic leaders ask Spanish Supreme Court to review the reasons for keeping them in custody
ERC’s ministers commit to using “dialogue and political negotiation” if released
The lawyer asks the Spanish Supreme Court to review the case and to change imprisonment for a lighter penalty
Jailed minister offers thanks for ‘hundreds of letters’ he has received
Carles Mundó says Catalan officials feel very supported and “connected to the people”
Prison for officials in Brussels would have caused “irreparable damage”, according to Belgian judge
For the magistrate, “there’s no reason to doubt that they will fully collaborate” with the country’s justice
Catalan leaders in court facing crimes of more than 30 years in prison
15 officials have appeared while President and 4 ministers have asked to appear via video from Brussels
Law on climate change the first project of Puigdemont’s government
The law will first charge those vehicles emitting more than 160 grams of CO2 per kilometre and in 2020 the bar will be set at a lower level. “This is a law of a country which is committed to the global challenge that humanity is facing” stated the new Catalan Minister for Planning and Sustainability, Josep Rull. The aim is to reduce the level of emissions registered in 2005 by 25% before 2020 and “by 80% or even more” by 2050. Also this Tuesday, the 29 committees in the Catalan chamber for this term of office have been assigned presidents. 15 of them will be led by members of pro-independence cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’, including the Committee for the Constitutive Process. Muriel Casals, former president of the cultural association promoting the Catalan language and culture, Òmnium Cultural, will be head of this committee set up to design the roadmap towards independence.
New Catalan Government set to work
The members of the new Catalan executive took office this Thursday, more than three months after the 27th of September Catalan Elections resulted in the victory of pro-independence forces. Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, called them to be “aware” of the citizens’ assignment “without renouncing anything”. ERC’s leader Oriol Junqueras has been designed to assume the Vice presidency and led the Department of Economy and Tax Office, one of the key areas of the new executive. Another novelty is the creation of the department for Foreign Affairs, which will be led by former MEP and ‘Junts Pel Sí’s top member, Raül Romeva.