Catalan Trial
Spanish authorities transferred nine politicians and activists this morning from prisons in Catalonia to Madrid, ahead of a high-stakes trial for their part in an attempt to secede from Spain.
There is no date set yet for the first hearing, but Judge Manuel Marchena ordered the separatists to be moved closer to the Supreme Court in Madrid.
Twelve defendants could be imprisoned if they end up convicted of rebellion, the gravest of the charges. They could also be fined if they were to be found guilty of misusing public funds.
The “trial of the century,” as it’s been labeled will be public and televised
Opinion Poll
Spanish far-right political party Vox saw support surge over the last month while the ruling Socialists remained in the lead, according to a voting intention poll released yesterday.
The official poll by the Centre for Sociological Studies showed the Socialists would win an election if it were held today with 29.9 percent of the vote, up from 28.9 when the poll was taken last month.
Relative newcomers Vox would win 6.5 percent putting them in fifth place, up from 3.7 percent in the poll carried out in December.
The CIS poll said centre-right Ciudadanos would come in second followed by far-left Podemos.
The traditional conservatives, the People’s Party were seen winning 14.9 percent of the vote, placing them in fourth place.
Financial Results
European shares edged up this morning as a fresh batch of earnings data for the fourth quarter and signs the China/U.S. trade talks were successful helped keep investors happy.
And Expansion of Spain’s manufacturing sector picked up in January,.
Markit’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 52.4 in January, up from 51.1 in December. The index has held above the 50 line separating growth from contraction every month since November 2013.
Spain’s economy expanded at its slowest rate last year since 2014 while, on a quarterly basis, output in the October-December period grew at its fastest pace in a year, preliminary figures showed yesterday.
Punch Up
Four players have been suspended for their involvement in a brawl after the Copa del Rey match between Valencia and Getafe this week.
Valencia’s fitness trainer was suspended for one match, and fines were handed out to both clubs.
The brawl erupted after the final whistle of Valencia’s 3-1 win on Tuesday, when the hosts scored twice in stoppage time to secure their spot in the Copa semifinals for the first time since 2012.
The benches were cleared after the tense finish and police had to intervene to break up altercations among several players on different parts of the field.