German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung has introduced its readers to Spain's new foreign affairs minister, Josep Borrell, a strong supporter of Spanish unity and belligerent choice by new prime minister Pedro Sánchez. "With the foreign minister's appointment, he's risking conflict with Catalonia straight away," they warn.
In an article entitled Ein Katalane für die Einheit ("A Catalan for unity"), they say that the new prime minister "has immediately sent a strong signal" with his choice. They note that, whilst Borrell is Catalan, he "speaks for the part of the Catalan people which is against the region splitting from Spain".
"With Borrell's appointment, Sánchez has made it clear which side he sees his government on: Spanish unity comes above everything for PSOE too. On this point, Sánchez doesn't differ from his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, whom he toppled last week," they write.
The newspaper notes that last autumn, at the "climax of the confrontation" between Barcelona and Madrid, Borrell said that "borders are the scars which history has left behind on the skin of the Earth".
They report that Borrell's nomination has been very badly received by independence supporters, quoting the reaction on Twitter from the president in exile, Carles Puigdemont.
The article ends covering some of the other names that have been reported as singled out for ministries, for example, María Jesús Montero for the treasury, "the most important ministry from the EU's point of view". The central government plans to keep control over Catalonia's finances.
They also report that German chancellor Angela Merkel has called Sánchez and invited him to Berlin for a first meeting.
