New Catalan government still up in the air

Six days after Quim Torra took office as the new president, Catalonia still has no government. Why is that? Appointing cabinet members is usually a formality that takes place within the first three days of the president taking office, and something that is rarely challenged. Yet, this time it has become a source of a political and legal conflict between the Catalan and Spanish authorities. The reason is Madrid’s opposition to President Torra appointing officials in jail or abroad to his cabinet. The issue is now up in the air and in the meantime Catalonia continues to live under direct rule from Madrid.

Why did Torra appoint ministers in jail and in exile?

On Saturday, President Torra signed the decree appointing his cabinet members. Among them was Jordi Turull (Presidency) and Josep Rull (Territory), who are both in jail, and also Lluís Puig (Culture) and Toni Comín (Health), who are in Brussels seeking refuge from Spain’s judiciary. The reason is that Torra committed himself to reappointing those Catalan ministers who were dismissed by the Spanish executive in October but who wished to be reinstated.  

How did the Rajoy government react?

"Catalonia needs a viable government not an unviable government," was how Spanish president Mariano Rajoy reacted to the news of Torra’s intention to appoint former cabinet members. Rajoy then backtracked on his promise to withdraw direct rule once a Catalan government had been appointed and refused to publish the nominations of the cabinet members in the government’s official gazette. Torra responded saying he will seek the help of European leaders in bringing the crisis between Barcelona and Madrid to an end.

What happens now without the publication of the decree appointing the officials?

The new Catalan cabinet was to be inaugurated on Wednesday, which would then see direct rule under Article 155 of the Constitution lifted. “It seems unimaginable to us that it wouldn’t be lifted and, if the state doesn’t do it, it will be infringing a decree of the Senate and that would be a considerable constitutional crisis,” said Torra on hearing that the Rajoy government intended to keep direct rule in place.

Will the new ministers take office on Wednesday as planned?

If Madrid does not ratify Torra's administration, the new regional Catalan government cannot assume office and thereby end direct rule. On Tuesday, Torra said on Catalan radio that he had no intention of replacing the controversial nominations and insisted that the appointments would go ahead on Wednesday as planned. The president also warned Rajoy to “publish the nominations or we will take legal action,” and disclosed that he had sent a letter to Madrid but added that he had “not had any direct or indirect contact with Rajoy.”