US news magazine Time has listed the Catalan president in exile, Carles Puigdemont, among the favourites to win the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. The article, which also lists names from Pope Francis to Donald Trump, briefly discusses last year's independence referendum and Puigdemont's current situation in Belgium.
They describe him as the "figurehead of last October’s unofficial Catalan independence referendum" which "precipitated a crackdown by Spain that put hopes for an independent Catalonia on ice for the foreseeable future". The magazine notes that he has "effectively been living in exile in Belgium since he fled the country to avoid arrest by Spanish authorities".
Given that the actual nominees are a closely guarded secret, Time's selection is based on the odds offered by betting firm Ladbrokes. Puigdemont is currently on 12/1, tied with UNHCR, the UN refugees agency. This puts the Catalan president joint third on the list, behind the current leaders of North and South Korea, Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in, and US president Donald Trump.
The magazine gives the list with the "caveat that the committee is very rarely predictable in its choice of laureate". This year's winner will be announced this Friday, 5th October, at 11am CEST (UTC+2).