New presidency and culture ministers sworn in

Two new ministers formally took possession of their posts on Monday, with Catalan president Quim Torra insisting on the need "to strengthen on all fronts."

Meritxell Budó and Mariàngels Vilallonga were both sworn in as the new presidency and culture ministers, respectively.

Budó and Vilallonga replace Elsa Artadi and Laura Borràs in the posts, with both former ministers wishing the new officials "good luck with the new challenges they will face."

Artadi and Borràs were forced to step down from the government posts in order to be able to contend the upcoming general election on April 28.

A former pharmaceutics professional, Budó was until now the mayor of a town of 15,000 residents in La Garriga area of central Catalonia.

As for Vilallonga, she is is a professor of Latin Philology at the University of Girona, and the vice president of the Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC).

With the change coming at a time of high political tension due to the trial of independence leaders, Torra thanked his two new ministers for their "bravery" in accepting the posts.