‘Catalonia wants independence’ Puigdemont hails victory amid new push to split from Spain

Speaking from Brussels where he is in self-imposed exile over fears he may face arrest in his home country, Mr Puigedemont said it was time to open a dialogue between separatists and the Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy. 

He said: “I’m open to meeting Rajoy in Brussels or in a different country within the EU that would not be Spain,”

Many separatists in the region have faced arrest following an illegal referendum earlier this year that descended into violence as police beat down peaceful protestors across the state.

Mr Puigedemont is expected to return to Catalonia, confirming he would make the trip provided he receives assurances he will be allowed to take his position as the head of the region’s Government.

The disputed Catalonian President went on to confirm he would still seek a path for Catalonia to split from the yoke of the Rajoy administration.

He said: “Catalonia wants to be an independent state,

“The recipe of Rajoy doesn’t work. 

“We need to find new ways, a political solution. 

“We have a duty to serve the mandate of the ballot boxes — it’s clear, despite all the efforts coming from the Spanish state and the violence.

“We need to find a way to organise the referendum for independence and then respect the results of it.”

Ahead of the the final result, the separatist leader said the results were a “slap in the face” for Mr Rajoy.

The electoral verdict will also leave EU bigwigs, who backed Mr Rajoy, smarting in what is widely being perceived as another blow to European unity, with the Spanish stock market taking a tumble in the wake of the results.

Mr Rajoy removed Mr Puigdemont from his position of President of the Government of Catalonia in October following the region’s controversial independence referendum which was deemed illegal. 

A warrant was issued for his arrest, prompting him to flee to Belgium.

As news of the results filtered out, an aide to ousted Mr Puigdemont sent a Whatsapp message to journalists saying: “As you see, we are the comeback kids.”

Senior EU officials declined to back the separatist cause in the lead-up to the election, prompting Mr Puigdemont to brand the organisation “a club of decadent countries”. 

He will now seek to form a government with the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and the Popular Unity Party (CUP).

Mr Puigdemont’s Junts pel Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) party, which won 21.7 per cent of the votes and 34 seats, will need to form a coalition with fellow separatist parties the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), which won 21.4 per cent of the votes and 32 seats, and the Popular Unity Party (CUP), which won 4.5 per cent of the vote and four seats. 

If he is successful, this would yield a wafer-thin majority of just three seats.