New Catalan Leader Asks To Meet Spain PM, 'xenophobia' Row Grows

Catalonia's freshly-appointed separatist president Quim Torra on Tuesday asked Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for a meeting as he prepares to form a new government and keep fighting to break from Spain

Berlin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2018 ) :Catalonia's freshly-appointed separatist president Quim Torra on Tuesday asked Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for a meeting as he prepares to form a new government and keep fighting to break from Spain.

His request from Berlin, where he was visiting deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, came as controversy grew over his appointment, with critics accusing him of "xenophobia" for past tweets and articles deemed offensive to the Spanish.

"My first aim of this new Catalan government is to offer dialogue to the Spanish government," he told reporters. Prime Minister "Rajoy please you fix a time and place," he said, standing next to Puigdemont, who is battling extradition to Spain on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds.

Torra, who was backed by Puigdemont, also asked the central government to hand back control over Catalonia's finances after Madrid said it would maintain its oversight on spending in the region to prevent it from funding a fresh secession bid.

"We won't accept these conditions," Torra said, as Madrid prepares to otherwise lift direct rule it imposed on Catalonia after Puigdemont and other separatist leaders declared independence on October 27.