Humphrey CarterPalma27/08/2018 00:00
TW

The former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who now lives in Waterloo, Belgium, has hit out over public money being given to a "legal" fascist group in Spain, while at the same time seeking a referendum on independence that was ruled illegal. And he has called on the new left-wing Spanish government to stop "talking the talk and walk the walk".

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said that he is open to dialogue with the aim of easing the tension between Catalonia and Madrid over independence, although he voted with the right-wing Partido Popular against respecting the last referendum and paving the way for an independent Catalonia.

So, in no way has he placated Puigdemont, who was talking on his first visit to Scotland, where some say he was simply enjoying getting the Scots all excited about future independence while using it more as a platform for him to take another swipe at Madrid and further his political future as the good guy in exile trying to fix the ails of the bad guys in Madrid.

He has challenged Sanchez to start taking proactive action towards resolving the Catalonia crisis, which could turn round and bite the prime minister in the rear in the forthcoming local and general elections. Remember, he was only anointed as PM thanks to the rest of the left-wing parties wanting to see the end of Rajoy more than the dawn of a Sanchez era.

Puigdemont is no fool. So who will win this Battle of Waterloo?