Catalan President Sacks Vice President Amid Government Crisis In Region

Muhammad Irfan Published September 29, 2022 | 08:33 PM

Catalan President Pere Aragones said on Thursday that he sacked Catalan Vice President Jordi Puignero amid the political crisis in the ruling coalition of the autonomous community

MADRID (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2022) Catalan President Pere Aragones said on Thursday that he sacked Catalan Vice President Jordi Puignero amid the political crisis in the ruling coalition of the autonomous community.

"It really hurts me to fire the Vice President, but it is a necessary step, as the government bodies cannot be constantly questioned," Aragones said.

He also stated that he made this decision due to the loss of trust in his vice president, who did not inform the government about the threat made by Albert Batet, a member of the Together for Catalonia party, to call a vote of no-confidence against Aragones over his allegedly moderate approach in relations with Madrid.

The current political crisis in Catalonia is connected with the coalition agreement signed after the regional election in 2021 between Aragones' Republican Catalan Left (ERC) party and Together for Catalonia. The agreement sets out a goal of pursuing a "strategic path toward independence" of the autonomous community from Spain and amnesty for political prisoners.

Catalonia has an influential separatist movement and the issue of the region's independence from Spain has always been on top of the agenda of Catalan politics.

In the October 2017 referendum, which Madrid called illegal, over 90% of voters supported Catalonia's independence. The Spanish government has refused to recognize the results of the vote, the turnout for which fell below 50% and stood at 43%. On Tuesday, Aragones said Catalonia should prepare for another referendum on independence.

In October 2019, the Supreme Court sentenced 12 Catalan politicians and activists for organizing an unauthorized referendum on independence and issuing a unilateral declaration of independence. Nine people were found guilty of mutiny and received sentences ranging from nine to 13 years in prison. Three were found guilty of insubordination and given fines.