politics

On Sunday the 28th of November, Catalans will elect their new Parliament, which will then elect the new Catalan Government for the next 4-year term. These elections are very likely to change the Catalan political landscape, becoming a barometer of support for the Socialist party in Catalonia. The elections may have consequences for all of Spain. All the polls point to the main opposition force, the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition Convergència i Unió (CiU), as just below the absolute majority.

The Pope decided to politicise his visit to Spain. He made a brief speech on the plane after leaving Rome in which he attacked what he called “the aggressive secularism” in Spain nowadays, which reminded him of the situation in the 1930s. It is an attack against Prime Minister Zapatero’s policies and an answer to the individuals and associations protesting against the Pope’s visit. Benedict XVI also criticised Spanish government’s laws during the religious ceremonies.

More than a million people have protested against the Spanish Constitutional Court¡s decision to trim Catalonia?s Autonomy. Today's demonstration is the largest in the history for greater self-government and against Spanish centralism.

Access to public institution information could help citizens and journalists in Catalonia to prevent political corruption and false accounting in public finances in a similar fashion as in the UK.

The political unity against the Spanish Constitutional Court?s sentence on the Catalan Statute of Autonomy seems on the edge of being jeopardised by discussions about how to proceed and the organisation of the citizen demonstration on the 10th of July.

The President of the Catalan Government, José Montilla, accuses opposition leader Artur Mas of being a ?separatist ashamed to say so? and shows distrust of those who offer "magic recipes" to solve the economic crisis.

Prime Minister Zapatero needs the votes from other parties to pass his Labour Market reform. Artur Mas, President of the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Party (CiU) has affirmed today that his party will not block the reform in the Spanish Parliament. Ci

Government and unions clash over success of strike action. Official figures suggest 11% of participation while unions raise the figure up to 75%. The salary cuts within the public sector adopted by the Spanish Government have infuriated the unions.

In a day focused on environmental acts, Catalan President asked forest defence associations to be on their guard this summer. Montilla also inaugurated a cycling park that links four important towns in Baix Llobregat, next to Barcelona.

The Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Party (CiU) trusts its same candidate to run for Mayor of Barcelona in the elections scheduled for the spring of 2011. Recent polls confirm Xavier Trias? hopes to win in his third attempt.

Lleida becomes the first city in Spain to prohibit full-face veils

Parliament President considers waiting time on Catalan Statute for Autonomy to be unbearable

Head of Catalan Government demands ?respect? for Catalonia and warns of rupture with Spain

The text urges to choose between renouncing Catalan claims or renouncing the Spanish Constitution

Delay aims to provide more scope for action on talks between Arabs and Palestinians