Top Spanish politician shot in the face in ‘attempted assassination’ by gunman on a motorbike on street in Madrid
A TOP Spanish politician was shot in the face in Madrid in an apparent assassination attempt.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca, the former head of Spain's People's Party in the Catalonia region, was ambushed by a gunman on a motorbike in a wealthy neighbourhood in the Spanish capital.
Alejo, who has also served as an MEP and First Vice President of the European Parliament, is said to be stable and conscious.
Cops and paramedics were called to the neighbourhood of Salamanca in the centre of Madrid - near where Aleja lives - shortly before 2pm.
Detectives are hunting for two suspects who were said to be waiting for Alejo and fled on a black Yamaha motorbike, according to reports.
It's understood the politician was shot at point-blank range from just two metres away as he was walking to his car.
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Aleja suffered a single gunshot wound to the jaw, sources told .
Witnesses reportedly described the attacker as a "young, small man" wearing jeans and a dark coat.
They said the gunman jumped off the motorbike and shot Aleja "at least once" without removing his black helmet.
Cops have cordoned off the area of the shooting and no arrests have been made yet, police said.
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Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: "I want to convey my solidarity and wishes for a speedy recovery to Alejo Vidal-Quadras.
"All my affection at this time for him and his family."
Aleja, 78, was a long-time member of Spain's conservative People's Party in Catalonia, and a European Parliament member before he broke away to found the far-right Vox party.
The politician was the front-runner for Vox in the 2014 European election, but the party failed to win a seat.
He's a former member of the Barcelona City Council, the Parliament of Catalonia and Senator in the Spanish Senate.
The Policia Nacional are heading up the investigation but the motive of the shooting remains unknown.
The shooting came as Spain's PM looked set to secure another term after his Socialist Party secured the backing of Catalan separatists Junts to form a government.
Sanchez is trying to form a government after an election in July came up with no clear winner.
Santos Cerdan, a senior Socialist party official, said while his party still had "profound disagreements" with Junts, it had set them aside to create a "stable government".
Part of the deal would include an amnesty to clear as many as 1,400 activists and politicians involved in the attempt to separate Catalonia from Spain in 2017.
Socialist lawmaker and party official Santos Cerdn said: "Six years have passed and the conflict is still unresolved.
"Our goal is to start a new chapter where the errors of the past are no longer obstacles to overcome."
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Cerdn said the amnesty would cover all crimes and alleged crimes related to the Catalan separatist movement from 2012 until now.
Reacting to the news of the agreement, Cuca Gamarra, spokesman for the People's Party, said Spain was looking at "a shameful and humiliating deal".
