Catalan Fugitive's Role in Spanish Election Impasse and Far-Right's European Foothold

The recent Spanish election resulted in a hung parliament, with no bloc on the left or right winning enough seats to form a majority. Former Catalan regional government head Carles Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile in Belgium, could hold the key to breaking the impasse. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez may need the support of Puigdemont's Junts party in exchange for concessions on independence. The ruling Socialists and far-left Sumar have more possibilities for negotiating support from small Basque and Catalan separatist parties. However, Puigdemont has previously stated that his party will not support Sanchez. The Catalan independence movement continues to lose votes, and negotiations are expected to be challenging. If no candidate secures a majority within two months, new elections must be held.