EU lawmakers to vote on fate of former Catalan president

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Parliament is voting on whether to lift the immunity of the former president of Spain’s Catalonia region, Carles Puigdemont, and two of his associates. The move could pave the way for their extradition back to Spain. Puigdemont and a number of colleagues fled to Belgium in October 2017, fearing arrest over the holding of an independence referendum that the Spanish government said was illegal. In 2019, he, former health minister Toni Comin and former education minister Clara Ponsati won seats in the European Parliament, and are protected from extradition. Monday evening’s vote is likely to endorse a decision to lift their immunity made by the assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee last month.