Catalan separatist politicians’ trial begins

A SENSITIVE trial against a dozen Catalan separatist politicians and activists has got under way at Spain’s Supreme Court amid protests by pro-independence supporters and a volatile political environment.

The defendants are being tried on rebellion and other charges stemming from their roles in pushing ahead with a unilateral independence declaration in October 2017.

The declaration was based on the results of a divisive secession referendum that ignored a constitutional ban.

The trial, arguably Spain’s most important in four decades of democracy, began as the future of prime minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority government hinges on last-minute negotiations with Catalan pro-independence parties to back his 2019 budget.

Mr Sanchez could be forced to call an early election if the Catalan separatists, whose support brought the Socialists to power last year, do not change their position of voting against the prime minister’s spending plan on Wednesday.

A debate in the parliament’s lower house began Tuesday.

The separatists want him to agree to talks on self-determination for their region, but the government argues that the country’s constitution does not allow it.

Opening the parliamentary debate, budget minister Maria Jesus Montero told Catalan legislators the government would “not give in to any blackmail by anybody”.

“Under no circumstance will we admit that the right to self-determination in Catalonia appears in any talking points,” she said.

Mr Sanchez appeared to put more pressure on his opponents by tweeting that “the right-wing and the separatists will vote against a budget that helps social causes”.