April 28th. That's the date set by Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez for a snap general election. The PSOE leader suffered a major defeat this week when Congress rejected his budget. Catalonia will have a central role to play in the vote. Also today, the European Parliament has banned a conference by Catalan president Quim Torra and his exiled predecessor, Carles Puigdemont. The chamber alleged a “high risk for public order” and “security threats.”