Puigdemont launches Republican Council

The new body, which is more symbolic than real, is not part of the Catalan regional government but has its support, and is not funded with public money.

The council will be led from Belgium by Carles Puigdemont, who headed the Catalan government before fleeing to avoid arrest on Spain's charges of rebellion, and it will initially be charged with furthering the cause of the Catalan independence movement internationally.