Catalan leader Puigdemont says 'Catalan republic' won over Spanish state

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Friday said the absolute majority won by separatists in a regional election on Thursday was a victory of the “Catalan republic” over the Spanish state.

Puigdemont was speaking from Brussels, where he went into self-imposed exile after his government was sacked by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in October when it declared independence from Spain.