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Quim Torra stands down as Catalan president after public-office ban is upheld

Exiting stage right: Torra leaves the Catalan parliament after being invited as a guest for a last speech.
Exiting stage right: Torra leaves the Catalan parliament after being invited as a guest for a last speech. / EFE

  • The Supreme Court ruled that Torra cannot hold public office over controversial nationalist banners, and regional elections will now be held

  • CRISTIÁN REINO

The now ex-president of the Catalan government, Quim Torra, said his farewells to the chamber of the regional parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

After the Supreme Court upheld earlier rulings on Monday that he couldn't hold public office for 18 months, supporting nationalist MPs invited him back as a guest to make his last speech.

To applause from JxCat and ERC, ruling coalition parties, Torra attacked the Spanish State. "Damaging, breaking and beheading the direct link that this parliament, with its 135 seats, has with its citizens, is an intolerable State-sponsored coup," he said.

Torra was banned for not taking down political messages on public buildings ahead of national elections last autumn.

Pere Aragonès of ERC will be acting president, although he has refused to use the title. The ruling coalition was already broken and elections will be held early next year, as soon as the parliamentary rules and timetable will allow.