Will the Catalan separatist movement take down the Spanish government after all?
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has found himself in quite a bind as he faces pressure on multiple political fronts, reports The New York Times.
National trials for 12 Catalan leaders who attempted to secede from Spain in October 2017 began on Tuesday, while Sánchez's government made a last-ditch effort to pass the national budget, which relies on the support of Catalan separatists.
Incumbent Catalan nationalist leaders have generally supported Sánchez and his minority Socialist government since he came to power in June following a vote of no-confidence against the previous conservative government. But they have maintained that unless Sánchez considers another Catalan independence referendum, they will vote against the national budget, which the Times reports will likely force Sánchez to call elections.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
At the same time, thousands of Spaniards took to the street in Madrid on Sunday in protest over Sánchez's more conciliatory tone toward the Catalan secessionists. The protesters hope that the trial judges hand down tough penalties to the defendants — some of whom face up to 25 years in prison for inciting rebellion — in order to deter any future secessionist movements.
But Spain is also wary of going too far with the trials, per The Guardian, for fear that implementing such strong penalties could lead to public backlash across Europe.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
North Carolina Supreme Court risks undermining its legitimacy
Under the radar A contentious legal battle over whether to seat one of its own members threatens not only the future of the court's ideological balance, but its role in the public sphere
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Sudoku hard: January 14, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Crossword: January 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Jimmy Carter honored in state funeral, laid to rest
Speed Read The state funeral was attended by all living presidents
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sentenced after Supreme Court rejection
Speed Read Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberal justices in the majority
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
DOJ to release half of Trump special counsel report
Speed Read The portion regarding Trump's retention of classified documents will not be publicly released
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Jimmy Carter lies in state as 3-day DC farewell begins
Speed Read The 39th president died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Giuliani held in contempt of court over forfeit assets
Speed Read He has failed to turn over $11 million in assets to two Georgia election workers he defamed after the 2020 election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden resettles 11 more Guantánamo detainees
Speed Read In an effort to reduce the number of prisoners held in Guantánamo Bay, Biden transferred 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Canada's Trudeau announces resignation
Speed Read Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down after nearly a decade in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden signs boost to Social Security for public workers
Speed Read The president signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, expanding retirement benefits for millions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published