Spain's central government on Thursday said the announcement of snap elections in Catalonia would delay planned talks between Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the region's separatist leadership.
Barcelona returned to relative calm after six days of demonstrations against the jailing of separatist leaders left hundreds injured in the tourist hotspot and pro-independence groups demanding new talks with the Spanish government.
After Spain ordered Catalonia to remove pro-independence symbols from public buildings, Catalan president Quim Torra responded Thursday by replacing a banner with a yellow ribbon outside the regional government's headquarters with another one.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the head of the separatist regional government of Catalonia on Thursday pledged fresh dialogue to try to resolve their dispute over the wealthy region's status within Spain.
Catalonia's new separatist government will be sworn in Saturday, the regional presidency announced, which will spark the automatic end of Madrid's direct rule over the region.
Catalonia's separatist president on Tuesday nominated an administration without jailed and exiled former ministers who backed its independence push, paving the way for Madrid to end its direct rule over the northeastern region.
Catalonia's new separatist president on Wednesday postponed the swearing in of his administration after Madrid rejected four regional minister who are in jail or exile over the region's independence push.
Spain's prime minister on Monday urged Catalonia to form a "viable" government after rejecting the region's new administration which includes jailed and exiled former ministers who backed its independence push.
New Catalonia president Quim Torra on Saturday named two former ministers, jailed by Madrid for backing independence from Spain, together with two others who fled into exile, to his regional government.
Quim Torra, Catalonia's new separatist leader, was sworn in Thursday in a brief ceremony without central government representatives where he avoided promising to obey the constitution and pledged instead to follow "the will of the Catalan people."
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Catalonia's new separatist leader Quim Torra said Tuesday they were willing to meet, as the regional president prepares to form a government and keep fighting to break from Spain.
A Catalan anti-racism group on Tuesday slammed past comments made by freshly-elected, fiercely separatist regional president Quim Torra and deemed offensive to Spaniards, as controversy grows over the appointment of a man critics have accused of "xenophobia."
Quim Torra, a newcomer to politics who has campaigned fiercely for Catalonia's independence, was appointed regional president Monday vowing to keep fighting for a break from Spain.
Quim Torra, the man chosen by ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont to be his successor, may be a newcomer to politics but has long been a committed separatist.
