US newspaper The New York Times has said that the acting Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, is "very close to re-election" after the "preliminary agreement" he has reached with ERC's secretary general, Marta Rovira, in Belgium.
"The deal - reached over dinner in Brussels on Tuesday - would allow Mr. Puigdemont to deliver his acceptance speech this month either by videoconference from Belgium or by having another lawmaker read it in the Catalan Parliament on his behalf."
According to the newspaper, the Catalan election called by the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, proved a setback for the leader who had hoped it would end the pro-independence movement. Instead, they warn, "far from ending" the conflict, it has "opened another uncertain chapter for Spain".
The newspaper includes a video featuring four young voters giving their opinions:
Puigdemont is now very close to re-election as Catalan leader- even if not physically. https://t.co/4bKCeuEVfb
— Raphael Minder (@RaphaelMinder) 10 de gener de 2018