March

The former club president who oversaw Barça’s golden age under coach Pep Guardiola returns, while Catalan MEPs lose their immunity in Brussels

1. Joan Laporta won back the FC Barcelona presidency with overwhelming support from the club’s members, who voted en masse despite Covid-19 concerns. With 54% of the vote, Laporta leads the club again after 18 years, hoping to bring back past glory despite the financial trouble left by his predecessor.

2. The European Parliament voted to remove MEP immunity for former president Carles Puigdemont and his former ministers Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí. The three said they would challenge the decision in the European Court of Justice, condemning formal errors and a breach of confidentiality in the process.

3. The Catalan doctor Josep Baselga, oncologist and a pioneer of cancer treatments, passed away on March 21 at the age of 61. Baselga was a leading figure in research for new cancer treatments, especially breast cancer. He revolutionised the understanding of molecular mechanism, saving countless lives.

4. Podemos party leader and Spanish vice president Pablo Iglesias quit politics s after the left-wing bloc was defeated by the PP and far-right Vox in the Madrid regional election. “I will stay committed to this country, but I do not want to block a renovation of leadership,” he said. “When a person is no longer useful, they have to know when to quit.”

March

High political expectations

High political expectations.

With public support for independence in the February election exceeding the 50% barrier and climbing to the highest ever figure of 52%, voters wait to see how the coalition of pro-independence parties will respond.