Rajoy warns Madrid will block ‘government by Skype’ in Catalonia

Madrid will continue to run Catalonia’s government if Carles Puigdemont is re-elected as head of the regional parliament while living in exile in Brussels, Spain’s prime minister has warned.

In a direct challenge to separatist forces in Catalonia supporting a return of their firebrand former leader, Mariano Rajoy said it was “absurd” that Mr Puigdemont was pushing to govern the region while in self-imposed exile abroad.

“There is no margin to be president from afar, neither by delegation nor by another type of trick,” said Mr Rajoy at a meeting of officials from his Popular Party on Monday. Madrid would continue direct rule “until the next president takes office”, he added.

Mr Puigdemont fled to Belgium in October last year after leading an illegal declaration of independence by Catalonia. The declaration prompted Madrid to take direct control of the region, oust Mr Puigdemont and dissolve the then government.

Spain ordered fresh elections in the region in December, where three pro-independence parties again won a majority of seats. Mr Puigdemont’s Junts per Catalunya emerged as the largest separatist party.

Following his party’s strong showing, Mr Puigdemont wants to be regional president again and is trying to use a legal loophole in the rules of the Catalan parliament to take the job while remaining in Brussels. If he returns to Spain he faces charges of rebellion and sedition, and a potentially decades-long jail sentence if convicted.

His move has been called an attempt to “govern by Skype”, because one idea is to use videoconferencing to address the regional parliament later this month.

The parliament’s rules demand a new leader has to present the government programme “in front of the house”. Technically nothing in its bylaws says the leader has to be physically present at the investiture, and some lawyers say Mr Puigdemont could appear by video link.

The decision on whether Mr Puigdemont can be chosen to lead Catalonia from Brussels will technically be taken by the board of the Catalan parliament, which is set to be elected when the assembly meets on Wednesday.

But Mr Rajoy made it clear on Monday that any decision to allow Mr Puigdemont to become president while outside Spain would be immediately challenged by the government in the courts.

Mr Rajoy also upped the stakes, saying Madrid would not relinquish control over the Catalan administration if Mr Puigdemont was voted in to lead from afar.

Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s prime minister, says it is ‘absurd’ that Carles Puigdemont is seeking re-election as regional president while in self-imposed exile abroad © Reuters

The Spanish prime minister has previously said Madrid would end direct rule once a new government had been formed in the region. But on Monday he said the appointment of Mr Puigdemont to rule from Brussels would not count as the formation of a new government.

“It’s absurd that someone aspires to be president of the Catalan regional government as a fugitive in Brussels — it’s a case of common sense,” he said.

“If someone wants to take charge, they have to be physically present . . . If not, Article 155 will stay in place. And that’s not because I say so — the senate said it would remain until a new president is sworn in.”

Article 155 of the Spanish constitution was used to impose direct rule over the region from Madrid.