Catalonia's separatist leader Carles Puigdemont will not appear before the Spanish Senate in Madrid to state his case for independence, a spokeswoman for the Catalan government said Wednesday.

"He will not go on Thursday or on Friday," the spokeswoman said, after the Senate suggested Puigdemont could appear at the upper house before it gives Madrid the green light to take over Catalonia's regional powers.

source: AFP