The Spanish Supreme Court's appeal hearing this Thursday to consider the disqualification of Quim Torra, the third consecutive Catalan president prosecuted by Spanish justice, has had a significant international impact. And the conclusion is practically unanimous: the conflict between Catalonia and the Spanish state has returned, when many of the media reporting the event, in Europe and beyond, had placed their hopes in a solution being reached under Pedro Sánchez's Spanish government.
Here are the most significant reactions:
French daily 'Le Figaro'
"Torra has hinted that he may not respect the ruling of the highest Spanish court"
Espagne : la justice appelée à trancher sur la destitution du président régional catalan https://t.co/YwhDnmlSDR via @Le_Figaro
— Henry de Laguérie (@henrydelaguerie) September 17, 2020
Swiss daily 'Tribune de Genève'
"There may be repercussions for Spanish politics because PM Pedro Sanchez returned to power in January with the support of pro-independence Catalan party ERC in exchange for talks on the Catalan political crisis"
Espagne: La justice appelée à trancher sur la destitution du président régional catalan https://t.co/eecv1RcDao
— Tribune de Genève (@tdgch) September 17, 2020
RTBF - Belgian French-language public broadcaster
"The Supreme Court's confirmation of the sentence and the cessation [of Torra] that may result will cause a political crisis in Catalonia"
Espagne : la justice appelée à trancher sur la destitution du président régional catalan https://t.co/8Lmhf4CuC0
— RTBF info (@RTBFinfo) September 17, 2020
Austrian daily 'Die Presse'
"The conflict in Catalonia is threatening to escalate again"
#Katalonien-Konflikt droht erneut zu eskalieren https://t.co/3G4PTlFhHV via @DiePressecom
— Krystyna Schreiber (@KommunikaCat) September 17, 2020
Belgium daily 'Sud Presse'
"President Quim Torra has denounced an absurd and grotesque trial"
Crise en Catalogne: la justice espagnole appelée à trancher sur la destitution du président régional catalan https://t.co/Lzz40VpUJc
— Sudpresse (@sudpresseonline) September 17, 2020
Radio TSF - Portugal
"The Supreme Court's decision could leave Catalonia on the brink of a political crisis""
Torra nas mãos do Supremo: tribunal decide hoje se inabilita o presidente da Catalunha https://t.co/8XTl9DA0Xb Em https://t.co/MDmhqgtnSp pic.twitter.com/9lQpXx0HRf
— TSF Rádio (@TSFRadio) September 17, 2020
Malaysia's 'The Sun Daily'
"Top Spain court mulls Catalan president’s disqualification"
Top Spain court mulls Catalan president’s disqualification https://t.co/qy4jRHL1on
— theSun (@theSundaily) September 17, 2020
United Arab Emirates daily 'Gulf Today'
"...regional turbulence could also impact on the government of Pedro Sanchez... re-elected in January thanks to the tacit support of ERC in exchange for fresh dialogue ...on the breach created by Spain’s worst political crisis in decades."
Top Spain court mulls Catalan president’s disqualification https://t.co/FtYq2xBac7
— Gulf Today (@gulftoday) September 17, 2020