Madrid to judge for 'Puigdemont law'

madrid - The Spanish government wants to prevent through the courts that the fled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is appointed regional leader while he is not there and is abroad. The Catalan parliament approved a bill last week that makes it possible to choose a regional prime minister who is not personally present.

Madrid already announced to the Constitutional Court before the vote. That ruled in January that Puigdemont can only be sworn in as a regional leader of Catalonia if he is physically present in parliament.

Puigdemont (55) fled from Catalonia in the aftermath of the illegal referendum on independence. The separatist leader is now in Germany, where the judge has to decide whether he can be extradited to Spain. The Catalan parliament has not yet chosen a new prime minister. The politicians have until 22 May to form a regional government, otherwise new regional elections have to be held.

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