Catalonia's deposed president says he might consider a solution to Spain's political crisis that doesn't involve the region's secession, appearing to soften the staunchly pro-independence stance that cost him his leadership last month.
In an interview with Belgian daily Le Soir, Carles Puigdemont was asked if a non-secessionist option was on the table to resolve a crisis triggered when Spain took over control of the region after its parliament declared independence on October 27.
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"I'm ready, and have always been ready, to accept the reality of another relationship with Spain ... It (another solution) is still possible," Puigdemont said.
"I have, being pro-independence all my life, worked for 30 years to have another way of Catalonia being anchored to Spain," he added, giving no details of what form such a relationship could take.
He posted a link to the interview, which was published on Monday, on his Twitter feed.
The former president is in self-imposed exile in Belgium after running an independence campaign that prompted authorities in Madrid to fire his cabinet, dissolve the regional parliament and call new elections for December.
Puigdemont, who had previously insisted the independence declaration should form the basis of any political negotiations with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, is under conditional release after an international arrest warrant was served against him.
He and four other former members of the Catalan government with him in Belgium face charges of rebellion and sedition.
Rajoy has said he was open to talks with Catalan leaders on a solution to Spain's worst political crisis since its return to democracy four decades ago, but only do so within a legal framework, calling for the independence drive to be dropped as a condition.
The Spanish government has called regional elections for December 21.
Reuters
