Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has vowed to form a new government despite what he described as "threats" from the central government in Madrid.

Speaking at a debate on Catalonia at the University of Copenhagen, Mr Puigdemont said: "We will not surrender to authoritarianism despite Madrid's threats.

"Soon we will form a new government. It’s time to end their oppression and find a political solution for Catalonia."

Earlier, Spain's Supreme Court rejected the state prosecutor's demand to reactivate a European arrest warrant for Mr Puigdemont.

Spanish prosecutors had sought to reactivate the warrant, as the former Catalan leader landed in Denmark for his first trip away from Belgium in three months of self-imposed exile.

The decision to reactivate the arrest warrant was postponed until the Catalan parliament is restored to normal activity, the court said in a statement.

Mr Puigdemont fled to Brussels in October after authorities in Madrid sacked him and accused him of sedition over an illegal referendum and a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain by the Catalan parliament.

He is the top candidate to lead Catalonia again after regional elections last month gave separatist parties a majority.

Shortly after his arrival in Copenhagen, Spain's state prosecution service said it had asked the Supreme Court to reactivate the warrant, on charges of sedition and rebellion, originally issued - and later lifted - after he fled to Belgium.

After weeks of uneasy calm, the political crisis triggered by Catalonia's independence drive flared up again last week when the new regional parliament elected a separatist speaker at its first sitting.

Speaker Roger Torrent announced this morning that he proposed Mr Puigdemont to be the Catalan president.

Mr Puigdemont said on Friday he could be re-elected and govern remotely from Brussels, but the Spanish government said it would not let that happen.</s>Image copyright AFP Image caption The ex-leader appeared at the University of Copenhagen on Monday

A Spanish Supreme Court judge has accused Catalonia's former leader Carles Puigdemont of trying to provoke his own arrest by travelling abroad.

Judge Pablo Llarena's comment came as he rejected a prosecutor's request to reissue a European arrest warrant.

Mr Puigdemont is on a trip to Denmark from Belgium, where he fled in October.

In Spain he is wanted for rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, after leading an independence referendum that was ruled illegal.

The charges carry a potential prison sentence of up to 30 years.

A European arrest warrant for him and four deputies was dropped in December by the court, which said it could complicate Spain's own legal probe and control over the case.

A request for it to be reissued was submitted on Monday by prosecutors, following news that Mr Puigdemont had left Belgium for the first known time since fleeing.

Judge Llarena turned the request down, saying it was important to wait until "constitutional order" had returned to the region.

He accused Mr Puigdemont of travelling to Denmark "to provoke his arrest abroad" as part of a wider strategy to legitimise his efforts to resume his position as Catalan president.

The judge wrote that the move would "equip him with a justification that his absence is not a free decision as a fugitive, but the consequence of a situation that has been imposed on him".

Ruling from abroad?

The controversy came as Mr Puigdemont was nominated by the speaker of the Catalan parliament, Roger Torrent, to head the regional government on Monday.

Mr Torrent said Mr Puigdemont's candidacy to lead was "absolutely legitimate" despite the charges against him.

The Spanish government says he cannot govern from abroad. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy reiterated on Saturday it would be considered "illegal".

But Mr Puigdemont's supporters say it would be possible with modern technology.

His candidacy will be voted on by the end of the month.

His party emerged as the largest of the three separatist groupings in Catalonia's regional election in December. Together the parties secured 70 out of the 135 seats.</s>Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday said it will not reactivate an international warrant to arrest deposed Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, after he flew to Denmark from Belgium, The Guardian reported.

Puigdemont fled Spain after Catalonia declared independence on October 27. Soon after, the Spanish government dissolved the Catalan government, dismissed its leaders and initiated legal proceedings against them. Puigdemont faces charges for his role in supporting Catalonia’s movement for independence from Spain, and will be arrested if he returns to his country.

At the time, the Supreme Court had issued an international arrest warrant against him, but withdrew it in December to avoid Belgium granting him asylum.

On Sunday, the prosecution said it would ask the judge to reinstate the arrest warrant so that Danish authorities could arrest Puigdemont when he lands there, Reuters reported. The court, however, postponed the decision to reactivate the arrest warrant until the Catalan parliament is restored to normal activity, The Guardian reported, quoting a court statement.

In December 2017, voters in Catalonia backed pro-independence parties in a snap election, dealing a major blow to the Spanish government. Spain wanted to quell the secessionist movement with this election. The Spanish government led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had called the election on October 30 after it rejected the Catalan declaration of independence.

In the weeks leading to the elections, the entire region saw several pro-independence and pro-unity demonstrations.</s>The Latest on fugitive Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont (all times local):

A Spanish judge has rejected a petition from the country's prosecutor to ask Danish authorities to arrest ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont.

Puigdemont arrived Monday in Copenhagen from Brussels to speak at the University of Copenhagen. He was to meet Danish lawmakers on Tuesday.

The trip is Puigdemont's first outside Belgium since he fled there to avoid a Spanish probe for his role in an illegal— and unsuccessful— secession bid for Catalonia in October.

Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena says in his decision that Puigdemont wants to be arrested overseas so he can blame on Spain his absence from a meeting of the Catalan parliament later this month in which he is the candidate to be sworn in as the region's president.

Spain's foreign minister says that "for the moment" ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is free to move in Europe outside of Spain, adding that his arrest was a matter for judges to decide.

Puigdemont flew Monday to Copenhagen from Belgium, where he has been since fleeing a Spanish investigation into the Catalan parliament's secession declaration last year.

Spain's prosecutors promptly asked a judge to issue a warrant for his arrest but the judge has yet to decide.

Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said in Brussels that "Mr. Puigdemont is subject to a process in Spain. Outside, for the moment, his movements are free within the European Union, but we'll see."

Spanish courts initially sought Puigdemont's extradition from Belgium but canceled that petition amid concerns that Belgium might send him back but restrict the crimes with which he could be charged.

The speaker of Catalonia's parliament has proposed former regional leader Carles Puigdemont as candidate to form a government, despite his status as a fugitive from Spanish justice.

Puigdemont arrived in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, on Monday to talk at a university there and meet Danish lawmakers. It is his first trip outside of Belgium since he left Spain dodging a judicial investigation into an illegal — and unsuccessful — independence declaration in late October.

Spain's state prosecutor is seeking his arrest in Denmark. A Spanish judge is yet to rule on the European warrant.

Catalan Parliament Speaker Roger Torrent says that Puigdemont is the only candidate with enough backing to attempt a government following regional elections last month.

Torrent says he has written asking Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to meet and talk about the "abnormal situation" in Catalonia.

Spain's state prosecutor has set in motion the process to arrest Catalonia's former leader in Denmark, where he has arrived to attend a debate.

Ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is scheduled to speak Monday at the University of Copenhagen and meet Danish lawmakers on Tuesday.

The trip is Puigdemont's first outside Belgium since he fled there to avoid a Spanish probe for his role in an illegal— and unsuccessful— secession bid for Catalonia in October.

The prosecutor's office says it has asked the Supreme Court to approve a European warrant for his arrest. It's unclear if Judge Pablo Llarena will grant it. In December, Llarena withdrew a similar order, concerned that Brussels would send Puigdemont back to Spain but restrict the crimes with which he could be charged.

The fugitive former leader of Catalonia has arrived in Denmark, despite threats from Spain to seek his immediate arrest there.

On Sunday, Spain's state prosecutor's office said it will reissue a European arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont if he travels from Belgium to Denmark.

Spain issued a warrant for Puigdemont's arrest in November, but withdrew it after a month amid fears that Brussels would send him back but restrict the crimes he could be tried for.

Puigdemont is being investigated by Spain over a unilateral declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament on Oct. 27.

He is slated to take part in a debate at the University of Copenhagen Monday, and Tuesday he has been invited to the Danish Parliament by a Faeroese lawmaker, but leading members of the government and opposition have declined to meet him.</s>A European arrest warrant will be reissued for the fugitive former leader of Catalonia if he leaves Belgium and enters Denmark as planned, Spain’s state prosecutor’s office said.

The region’s ex-president Carles Puigdemont is scheduled to attend a debate at the University of Copenhagen on Monday.

The trip would be Mr Puigdemont’s first outside Belgium since he fled there to avoid a court summons in Spain for his role in a failed secession bid led by his government in October.

The state prosecutor said that if Mr Puigdemont enters Denmark as planned it will "immediately request" the Spain Supreme Court to issue a European warrant for his arrest by Danish authorities.

Spain issued a European warrant for Mr Puigdemont’s arrest in November, but withdrew it after a month.</s>Spanish Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena on Monday rejected a request by the Spanish state prosecutor’s office for a European arrest warrant for exiled former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont. Puigdemont travelled from Belgium to Denmark on Monday to attend a conference at a university, Xinhua news agency reported. Llanera argued that Puigdemont’s visit to Denmark was a strategy for the former Catalan leader to be arrested in order to “force a context in which he would be able to delegate his vote as if he was in the same situation as those who are currently at the disposition of this court and who have been provisionally denied their liberty.”

This is a reference to Puigdemont’s former deputy Oriol Junqueras and the representatives in the Catalan regional assembly, Joaquim Form and Jordi Sanchez, who have been able to delegate their vote in the assembly elected on December 21, even though they are in prison facing charges of rebellion, sedition; while Junqueras faces trial for the misuse of public funds. Llanera argued that Puigdemont’s trip had “no other aim other than to provoke his arrest” to allow him to participate in the forthcoming investiture debate.

Puigdemont has been in exile in Belgium since the start of November after leaving Spain in the wake of the Catalan independence referendum and unilateral declaration of independence. The Supreme Court had previously issued a European arrest warrant when he originally travelled to Belgium only to withdraw it because Belgium does not have a crime which is the exact equivalent of rebellion.</s>COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Spain’s prosecutors Monday asked the country’s Supreme Court to issue a European arrest and extradition order against Catalonia’s fugitive former leader after he arrived in Denmark.

Carles Puigdemont flew to Copenhagen from Belgium, where he has been since fleeing a Spanish investigation after the Catalan parliament’s secession declaration on Oct. 27. He is due to attend a university debate in Copenhagen later Monday.

He was immediately surrounded by media, but he made no comment before he got into a car that drove him away to an undisclosed location.

His trip also came as Catalonia’s parliamentary speaker proposed him as a candidate to form a government despite his status as a fugitive.

It remains to be seen whether Spanish Judge Pablo Llarena will issue the European warrant and ask Danish authorities to arrest him.

Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said the matter was for judges to decide.

“Mr. Puigdemont is subject to a process in Spain. Outside, for the moment, his movements are free within the European Union, but we’ll see,” Dastis said in Brussels.

The push by the Catalan government, while Puigdemont was regional president, triggered Spain’s most serious political crisis in decades. Spain ousted Puigdemont’s Cabinet, dissolved the regional parliament and called the December regional elections as part of special powers invoked following the independence declaration.

He and his 13 former Cabinet members face possible charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement, which carry jail sentences of up to 30 years under Spanish law.

Despite Puigdemont’s legal situation, Catalan parliamentary speaker Roger Torrent said Monday that the former president was the only candidate with enough backing to attempt a new government following the regional election last month.

Torrent said that he has written to Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to request a meeting to talk about the “abnormal situation” in Catalonia.

Puigdemont faces immediate arrest if he returns to Spain and, if he remains abroad, central authorities in Madrid say they will block any attempt he might make to be Catalonia’s president in absentia.

Rajoy has even threatened to maintain special constitutional powers to keep direct control of the region, a move that his government sought after the Oct. 27 unilateral independence declaration by a slim majority of Catalan separatist lawmakers.

Puigdemont was slated to take part in a debate at the University of Copenhagen on Monday. On Tuesday, he has been invited to the Danish Parliament by a Faeroese lawmaker, although leading members of the government and opposition have declined to meet with him.

Spanish courts initially sought Puigdemont’s extradition from Belgium but canceled that petition amid concerns that Belgium might send him back but restrict the crimes with which he could be charged. The judge might not re-issue the arrest order for the same reasons.

Associated Press writers Aritz Parra and Ciaran Giles contributed to this report from Madrid.</s>Spanish prosecutors have asked the country’s supreme court to reactivate the international arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont after the deposed Catalan president flew to Denmark from Belgium. He has been living in Brussels for the past three months following the regional parliament’s unilateral declaration of independence.

Puigdemont, who fled to Brussels at the end of October after being sacked by the Spanish government, is facing possible charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds over his role in the push to split from Spain. He faces arrest the moment he sets foot on Spanish soil.

Early on Monday morning, the ousted leader flew to Copenhagen to take part in a conference on Catalonia.

Spanish prosecutors had warned they would seek to renew the international arrest warrant that a judge had dropped in December because of a discrepancy between Belgian and Spanish law that would limit the charges under which Puigdemont could be extradited and therefore be charged with on his return.

Puigdemont is trying to return as Catalonia’s president after December’s snap election, in which pro-independence parties retained their majority in the regional parliament.

He hopes to be sworn in via videolink or by using one of his MPs to read his candidate speech when the regional parliament begins a debate to choose its new leader at the end of January.

However, the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has said Puigdemont must attend the investiture debates in person.

“It’s absurd that someone may intend to be a candidate to be the head of the regional government while being in Brussels and running away from justice,” Rajoy said last week.

“This is no longer just a judicial and political problem. This a problem of pure common sense.”



The Spanish government assumed control of Catalonia on 27 October after Puigdemont’s government held an illegal referendum and the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence, plunging Spain into its worst political crisis since its return to democracy four decades ago.</s>The Latest on fugitive Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont (all times local):

Spain's state prosecutor has set in motion the process to arrest Catalonia's former leader in Denmark, where he has arrived to attend a debate.

Ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is scheduled to speak Monday at the University of Copenhagen and meet Danish lawmakers on Tuesday.

The trip is Puigdemont's first outside Belgium since he fled there to avoid a Spanish probe for his role in an illegal— and unsuccessful— secession bid for Catalonia in October.

The prosecutor's office says it has asked the Supreme Court to approve a European warrant for his arrest. It's unclear if Judge Pablo Llarena will grant it. In December, Llarena withdrew a similar order, concerned that Brussels would send Puigdemont back to Spain but restrict the crimes with which he could be charged.

The fugitive former leader of Catalonia has arrived in Denmark, despite threats from Spain to seek his immediate arrest there.

On Sunday, Spain's state prosecutor's office said it will reissue a European arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont if he travels from Belgium to Denmark.

Spain issued a warrant for Puigdemont's arrest in November, but withdrew it after a month amid fears that Brussels would send him back but restrict the crimes he could be tried for.

Puigdemont is being investigated by Spain over a unilateral declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament on Oct. 27.

He is slated to take part in a debate at the University of Copenhagen Monday, and Tuesday he has been invited to the Danish Parliament by a Faeroese lawmaker, but leading members of the government and opposition have declined to meet him.</s>The region’s ex-president Carles Puigdemont is scheduled to attend a debate at the University of Copenhagen on Monday.

The trip would be Mr Puigdemont’s first outside Belgium since he fled there to avoid a court summons in Spain for his role in a failed secession bid led by his government in October.

The state prosecutor said that if Mr Puigdemont enters Denmark as planned it will “immediately request” the Spain Supreme Court to issue a European warrant for his arrest by Danish authorities.
Carles Puigdemont, ex-President of Catalonia, travels to Denmark while Spanish Attorney General requests the European Arrest Warrant. The Speaker of the Catalan Parliament appoints Puigdemont to be invested as President. Spain's Supreme Court refuses to reactivate the arrest warrant.