Veteran politician in stable condition after being shot in Madrid Sam Jones A veteran PP and Vox politician is reported to be in a stable condition in hospital after being shot in the face by a masked gunman in a wealthy Madrid neighbourhood on Thursday. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a former PP leader in Catalonia who joined Vox in 2014, was shot in Núñez de Balboa street in the barrio of Salamanca. Madrid’s emergency services confirmed that a 78-year-old man had received a gunshot wound and had been taken to hospital. They added that the bullet had passed through his jaw. El País reported that Vidal-Quadras was in a stable condition in the Spanish capital’s Gregorio Marañon hospital and was being treated for a gunshot wound to the face. The paper said the rightwing politician was attacked at around 1.30pm local time as he came out of the building where he lives. “Initial investigations suggest that two men on a black Yamaha motorbike were involved in the shooting,” said El País. “The gunman, who was wearing a crash helmet, jumped onto the bike after discharging his weapon. The pair then drove off.” Vox’s leader, Santiago Abascal, said he believed Vidal-Quadras’ life was not in immediate peril. “Thank god it seems that Alejandro Vidal-Quadras is out of danger,” Abascal said. The PP leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, deplored the shooting and wished for his recovery. Vidal-Quadras was a long-time member of the PP and a European parliament member before he broke away to help found the far-right Vox party. He left Vox shortly after a failed attempt to win a European lawmaker seat in 2014. Summary of the day Spain’s socialist party and Catalan separatist party Junts reached a deal for Junts to support a Socialist-led government. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a former PP leader in Catalonia who joined Vox in 2014, is reported to be in a stable condition in hospital after being shot in the face by a masked gunman in a wealthy Madrid neighbourhood. Acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is now on the verge of securing another term in office, with a vote in parliament possible next week. The socialist party won Junts’ support by offering a deeply controversial amnesty for those who took part in the illegal and failed bid for regional independence six years ago. The deal says the proposed amnesty law is intended “to bring about full political, institutional and social normality as an essential prerequisite for dealing with the challenges of the immediate future”. Catalan politician Carles Puigdemont said the agreement is a step towards resolving a “historic conflict” between Spain and Catalonia. Conservative and far-right politicians sharply criticised the agreement. Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox, has called today’s deal between the socialists and Junts a “coup” and said a “civil resistance” is being launched. Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is now meeting with the Council of State, an 18-member consultative body. He is expected to make an announcement later on about what comes next after the resignation earlier this week of the country’s prime minister, António Costa. Pedro Sánchez has expressed his solidarity with Alejo Vidal-Quadras, sending wishes for a speedy recovery, after the veteran politician was shot in the face today. Veteran politician in stable condition after being shot in Madrid Sam Jones A veteran PP and Vox politician is reported to be in a stable condition in hospital after being shot in the face by a masked gunman in a wealthy Madrid neighbourhood on Thursday. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a former PP leader in Catalonia who joined Vox in 2014, was shot in Núñez de Balboa street in the barrio of Salamanca. Madrid’s emergency services confirmed that a 78-year-old man had received a gunshot wound and had been taken to hospital. They added that the bullet had passed through his jaw. El País reported that Vidal-Quadras was in a stable condition in the Spanish capital’s Gregorio Marañon hospital and was being treated for a gunshot wound to the face. The paper said the rightwing politician was attacked at around 1.30pm local time as he came out of the building where he lives. “Initial investigations suggest that two men on a black Yamaha motorbike were involved in the shooting,” said El País. “The gunman, who was wearing a crash helmet, jumped onto the bike after discharging his weapon. The pair then drove off.” Vox’s leader, Santiago Abascal, said he believed Vidal-Quadras’ life was not in immediate peril. “Thank god it seems that Alejandro Vidal-Quadras is out of danger,” Abascal said. The PP leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, deplored the shooting and wished for his recovery. Vidal-Quadras was a long-time member of the PP and a European parliament member before he broke away to help found the far-right Vox party. He left Vox shortly after a failed attempt to win a European lawmaker seat in 2014. Former head of People’s party in Catalonia shot The former head of Spain’s People’s party in the Catalonia region was shot in the face in Madrid today according to police, Reuters has reported. Alejo Vidal-Quadras, who is also one of the co-founders of Vox, was shot in the Salamanca area of central Madrid at about 1.30pm and taken to hospital. The police are looking for a person who fled on a motorcycle, EFE reported. A plenary session to debate Pedro Sánchez’s bid to become prime minister again will be convened next week, elDiario.es reports. A vote is expected on 16 November. Exiled Catalan politician Carles Puigdemont is now speaking to reporters in Brussels. He said that today’s agreement with the socialist party serves to start a political negotiation that should allow for resolving the historical conflict between Catalonia and Spain. Sánchez set to stay PM after controversial amnesty with Catalan separatists Sam Jones Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is on the verge of securing another term in office after his socialist party won the support of Catalan separatists by offering a deeply controversial amnesty for those who took part in the illegal and failed bid for regional independence six years ago. The deal between the Spanish Socialist Workers party (PSOE) and the centre-right Junts (Together) comes after a week of tense negotiations and amid widespread concerns over the amnesty, which have led to street protests, dire warnings from conservative judges and questions from Brussels. Speaking shortly after the agreement was announced, the PSOE’s organisational secretary, Santos Cerdán, said the negotiations had yielded “a historic opportunity to resolve a conflict that could – and should – only be resolved politically”. He said the proposed amnesty bill would now be put before parliament, adding that a new, socialist-led government would offer a progressive alternative to an alliance between the conservative People’s party (PP) and the far-right Vox party. The deal follows months of uncertainty caused by an inconclusive snap general election in July, in which the PP narrowly beat the PSOE. But the PP failed to muster the support it needed to form a government with Vox, leaving the way clear for the PSOE and its allies in the leftwing Sumar alliance. Read the full story here. Anticipation here in Brussels as we wait for Junts’ Carles Puigdemont to address reporters. What"s in Spain"s deal? Sam Jones The deal signed between Spain’s socialist party and Junts includes a section on the controversial amnesty law, which says the proposed law is intended “to bring about full political, institutional and social normality as an essential prerequisite for dealing with the challenges of the immediate future”. It adds: This law should include both the leaders and citizens who, after the consultation of 2014 and the referendum of 2017, have been the subject of judicial decisions or processes related to these events. As a result, the conclusions of the investigative committees of this legislature will have to take into account the application of the amnesty law in cases involving situations known as lawfare or the judicialisation of politics. The 2014 consultation is a reference to the symbolic referendum that came three years before the Puigdemont government’s unilateral referendum. The mentions of “lawfare” and the “judicialisation of politics” are likely to have been inserted to offer Carles Puigdemont and other separatist leaders protection against what they see as politically motivated judicial actions against them. Far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal will hold a press conference at 3pm. El País has published the four-page document signed by the Spanish socialists and separatist Catalan party Junts. The Spanish socialists’ negotiator, Santos Cerdán, said the deal with Junts is historic. The amnesty law is agreed, he said, adding that now political groups need to see it. Cerdán said it is necessary to form a progressive government “as soon as possible” because that was the mandate of the election where the “Spanish people said no to a government of PP and Vox, no to the setback and tension,” El País reported. Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party is joining Spain’s right in criticising the deal, with Hungarian MEP Balázs Hidvéghi arguing that the rule of law is in danger in Spain.