What Happened: The Spanish government has authorized the transfer of six secessionist leaders from prisons in Madrid to prisons in Catalonia, El Pais reported July 3.
Why It Matters: While symbolic, Madrid's decision to transfer secessionist leaders to Catalonia shows its new strategy to reduce frictions between the region and Spain's central government.
Background: Spanish authorities arrested a number of politicians who were involved in last year's Catalonian independence referendum, which the government in Madrid declared illegal.
Read More:
- Independence-Minded Catalonia Will Tread a More Cautious Path (May 14, 2018)
- Spain: After Elections, Catalonia Faces a New Year as Complicated as the Last (December 22, 2017)
