Catalan president changes cabinet

CATALAN regional president Quim Torra has reshuffled his cabinet to exclude regional MPs that are in prison or at large from Spanish justice.

The move should allow PM Mariano Rajoy to lift the application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution that has seen central government take over direct control of the region since previous president Carles Puigdemont proclaimed unilateral independence in October last year.

The condition to lift 155 was that a new regional government was formed, but when last week Sr Torra defied Madrid by including politicians in remand or at large accused of rebelion against the state, Sr Rajoy said he would not comply with the law unless they were removed from the list.

Sr Torra has replaced the banned regional MPs with members of the JxCat and ERC parties that have not been accused of disobedience to the state: namely Elsa Artadi (replacing Jurdi Turull in prison), Alba Vergés replacing Toni Comín (at large), Damiá Calvet replacing Jordi Rull (in prison), and Laura Borrás replacing Luis Puig (at large).

Elsa Artadi was already on the initial list, but has changed her position that will be taken over by María Angels Chacón.

However, in the current climate of political inestability in Madrid (see above) the issue may have to wait until next week.

Meanwhile, the Ciudadanos party has requested 155 contiues to apply because Sr Torra has not retracted from his statements that he is seeking to form an independent republic or that his regional cabinet will be subject to the rulings of a 'government in exile' formed by separatists only and led by ex-president Puigdemont.