READ MORE: Catalan Parliament Allows Regional Government Head to Be Elected in Absence

Earlier in May, Catalan lawmakers voted in favor of an amendment that would allow the regional president to be elected without his or her presence in the parliament, in a move that could return former leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile, to power. REUTERS/Albert Gea

MADRID (Reuters) - The Catalan parliament elected hard-line separatist Quim Torra as regional leader on Monday, heralding an end to seven months of direct rule from Madrid but also more political uncertainty in a region that retains a mandate to seek a split from Spain. Torra, 55, is a fervent nationalist hand-picked by former leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in Berlin fighting extradition to Spain after being charged for rebellion and misuse of public funds in connection to last year’s Catalan independence bid.
The Catalan parliament elects hard-line separatist Quim Torra to become the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia after obtaining 66 votes in favor, 65 against and four abstentions.