Many doubt region’s seemingly headlong rush towards independence from Spain

Nor is it easy to put trust in Catalan first minister Carles Puigdemont

Opinion: I want no part in a regime that hospitalises peaceful people who just want to vote

Perception of authoritarian government denying gallant small nation right to express itself is widespread

Spanish government and pro-independence alliance in Catalonia bear heavy responsibility for failing to find new accommodation

Spanish PM and Catalan president rehearse political agendas at time of crisis

Barcelona Letter: Many Catalans are less than enthusiastic for a divorce from Madrid

Clear laws and public scrutiny create economic culture for transparent commerce

Mariano Rajoy appears so determined to change nothing that he may soon find major changes happening very fast

Catalan nationalists insist the EU would welcome their very prosperous region as a member quickly after independence

Rodrigo Rato misused credit cards as head of Caja Madrid at height of financial crisis

London Letter: Gibraltarians fear Spain will use Brexit to grab coveted piece of the Rock

Mariano Rajoy’s mandate as prime minister is extremely fragile

PSOE in crisis and facing split

Repeated failures of politicians to elect a new government has exacerbated a crisis of confidence

Centre-right party opens door to formation of a new government

Spain experiences Brexit ripple effect

The public mood generally has shifted from exasperation to resignation, but the impact of a second impasse will be unpredictable

The most likely outcome remains new elections in June – and no major changes in the results

Ireland has become the latest bailout country to reject the incumbent government in a search for a political alternative

Impasse points to another election in June

Discreet voices in Brussels are warning that continued instability threatens an economic recovery that pulled the country back from brink of collapse

Many Spaniards now accept that only a fresh and more open-ended vision of a common Iberian home can resolve the Catalan crisis

Previously secret meeting in London helped to shape FG message control

Campaign tracks successful Conservative drive in pursuit of single-party government

General election result retards gathering momentum towards state break-up

Ciudadanos, fiercely opposed to Catalan (and Basque) nationalism, may find common cause with the Partido Popular after all

Tyranny in Spain was replaced by democracy, but its supporters continued to prosper

European People’s Party emphasises success of centre-right governments

Catalonia

Podemos holds the balance of power in a multitude of municipalities and regional governments

It seems to have lost more votes on the left than it has gained by approaching the centre

Upheaval not quite on a par with Greece

Mariano Rajoy’s insistence his polices have achieved stability “without damaging our social fabric” is received with stupefied anger by the opposition

Dreams espoused by its leader Pablo Iglesias may soon become responsibilities

Analysis: Eta’s efforts should be received more warmly in the interests of peace

Station transforms itself from being government puppet to outspoken critic

National day marking Columbus’s voyage provides backdrop for row over separatism

Fluency in Catalan is no longer a requisite for most Balearic civil servants