The new Catalan authority has emphasized the importance of holding talks with the Spanish government.
Quim Torra, a lawmaker from the Junts per Catalunya party, was elected the president of the autonomous region by the Catalan Parliament on Monday. Torra though refers to himself as an interim head of the Catalan government, the Generalitat, as he considers Carles Puigdemont, who is facing possible extradition to Spain where he is wanted on rebellion charges, the true head of the cabinet.
READ MORE: Catalan Parliament Elects Quim Torra as Generalitat President
Earlier this month, regional lawmakers voted in favor of an amendment, allowing the Catalan president to be elected without being present in the parliament, in a move that could return former leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile, to power.
