First phone call since referendum trial verdict

The presidents of Catalonia and Spain have spoken for the first time since the sentencing of 9 independence leaders last October sparked a wave of major protests and altercations. It was a 15-minute phone call, described by Catalan authorities as “cordial,” which comes after two months of crossed accusations and mutual distrust amid increased political tensions.

Catalan president Quim Torra reproached Spain’s acting president Pedro Sánchez for not answering his repeated phone calls and also criticized him for taking a “hard” stance on the independence issue during the campaign leading to last month’s general election.

While Sánchez’s Socialist party came first in the vote, his chances of forming a left-wing government depend on the votes from pro-independence parties’ lawmakers in the Spanish Congress — and Torra’s acquiescence might prove crucial to Sánchez’s bid to stay in power.