Spain's audit office on Monday ordered former Catalan president Artur Mas and nine others to repay €4.9 million ($5.5 million) of public money spent on staging a 2014 independence referendum.
The trial of Artur Mas, former president of Spain's Catalonia region, over a non-binding independence vote in 2014 ended Friday after a day of heated courtroom exchanges.
On trial for holding a symbolic independence vote, Catalonia's former leader Artur Mas warned Madrid against implementing drastic measures to stop another such referendum - binding this time - from taking place as planned by his successor.
Catalonia's former separatist chief Artur Mas will stand trial for staging a symbolic independence vote, judicial authorities said on Thursday, just weeks after the Spanish region's current president promised a referendum.
Spanish prosecutors called on Monday for Catalonia's former separatist chief Artur Mas to be handed a 10-year ban on holding public office ahead of his trial for staging a symbolic vote on independence.
Catalonia's new fiercely secessionist president Carles Puigdemont took office Tuesday with a clear mandate to lead the wealthy Spanish region towards independence from Madrid - carefully avoiding swearing loyalty to Spain as he was inaugurated.
Catalonia's separatist leader Artur Mas said he was reluctantly "ready" to call fresh parliamentary elections as a
deadline for the Spanish region's secessionist faction to form a government
approached dangerously close.
A far-left Catalan separatist party on Sunday put off until January 2nd a decision on whether to back the formation of a new government led by outgoing regional president Artur Mas that would work towards breaking away from Spain.
Artur Mas has failed in his second attempt to win re-election as the region’s president after he was denied support from the anti-capitalist CUP party.
UPDATED: Catalonia's regional parliament kicked off a hugely anticipated debate on Monday that will culminate with a vote on whether to launch a secession process, in its latest showdown with the central
government of Spain in Madrid.
UPDATED: Catalonia leader Artur Mas said on Thursday he took full responsibility for a ballot on independence for his region from Spain, after a judge questioned him on charges over the vote.
Catalonia's leader Artur Mas admits that he was not always a nationalist. But now he is pledging his political life to the cause of making his region independent from Spain.
Catalonia on Monday called early regional elections for September 27th, polls that will serve as a proxy vote on independence from Spain and raise tensions with the central government in Madrid.
Three ministers from the junior party in the coalition that runs Catalonia pulled out of the regional government due to disagreements over its push to break away from Spain.
President of Catalonia, Artur Mas, has revived Barack Obama’s famous election slogan "yes we can" six years after it was originally used, to describe the struggle for Catalan independence on a visit to New York.
The Catalonia region plans to open more offices representing its interests abroad in the hope of facilitating secession from Spain if Catalan separatists win a regional election, a source said.
The President of Catalonia Artur Mas announced on Wednesday that voters in the region will go to the polls in 2015. Pro-independence parties will not however, join forces to win the election.
What will be the front page stories in Spain in 2015? And who, or what, will hog the limelight? The Local has gazed into the crystal ball to make predictions about what the country can expect in the year to come.
Catalonia's president Artur Mas was placed under investigation on Monday for holding a banned vote on whether his region should be independent from Spain.
Spain's King Felipe VI praised the merits of unity on Thursday in his first speech in Catalonia since the wealthy northwest region held a symbolic vote on independence.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday called plans by the Catalan government to hold early elections as part of a push to gain independence from Spain "a step to nowhere".
The head of the regional Catalan government, Artur Mas, said on Tuesday he wants to hold early elections in the region as the first step in plans aimed at Catalonia becoming independent from Spain in 2016.
Spain's state prosecutor-general has been given the green-light to investigate top Catalan politicians including president Artur Mas over possible crimes committed during the region's recent symbolic vote on independence.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday warned that he would not consider the option of a definitive independence referendum in Catalonia during his first public appearance since the region held an unofficial poll on self-rule on Sunday.
Catalan authorities suffered a massive cyberattack while the region was voting in an independence ballot outlawed by Madrid, the region's president said on Tuesday during a press conference outlining his future strategy on Catlan independence.
