June

News

5 December 2021 2.00 h

Prisoners pardoned

The nine Catalan political prisoners are released from jail, president Biden meets foreign leaders, masks can be discarded outdoors and the MWC returns

June

1. Having been pardoned by Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez, the released Catalan political prisoners vowed to reaffirm their commitment to the fight for Catalan independence and to ensure amnesty for all those still being persecuted through the Spanish courts due to their involvement in the independence vote.

2. On a visit to Europe, US president Joe Biden agreed to bring the US-EU trade dispute to an end. Biden also held a meeting with Russian premier Vladimir Putin in an attempt to establish a pragmatic relationship between the two countries, while Kim Jong-un announced he was open to dialogue with Biden.

3. Pedro Sánchez declared that masks would no longer be obligatory in public spaces from June 26, despite the worrying emergence of a new strain of the coronavirus, known as the Delta variant. Widespread vaccinations were seen as the catalyst for the new regulations, as cases fell throughout western Europe.

4. As public events involving large numbers of people began to regain momentum, albeit with some health restrictions, the Mobile World Congress returned to Barcelona. Marked by the coronavirus pandemic, the Congress had far fewer participants and a large proportion of them were locals.

Changing of the guard

Changing of the guard.

This month’s edition of the magazine placed the spotlight on Catalonia’s 132nd President, Pere Aragonés. In addition, it also featured reports on the Scottish independence bid, the comic group Tricicle and how Catalan football clubs ended the season.