A Spanish court has allowed former Catalan President Puigdemont to return to the country without the threat of arrest
Kyiv • UNN
Spain’s Supreme Court upheld the cancellation of the arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont. This clears the way for his return.
Spain’s Supreme Court has upheld the decision to cancel the arrest warrant for former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who has been in exile for nearly a decade following an unsuccessful attempt to secure the region’s independence. This paves the way for his return to Spain. BBC reports, UNN writes.
Details
The court’s decision concerns the case involving the referendum on Catalan independence, which the regional government organized in 2017 despite Madrid’s opposition.
After the vote, the central government imposed direct rule on the region, and Puigdemont traveled to Belgium, where he has remained ever since. In 2024, he unexpectedly appeared in Barcelona, after which police began searching for him. However, he managed to flee to France before being detained.
In 2024, Spain’s socialist government introduced an amnesty for dozens of Catalan politicians and activists involved in the movement to separate the region. At the same time, the Supreme Court ruled that Puigdemont and several of his associates should not be covered by the amnesty because of allegations of possible financial crimes connected with organizing the referendum.
Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court overturned that interpretation. On Monday, the Supreme Court also rejected an appeal by the far-right Vox party against the cancellation of the national arrest warrants for Puigdemont and his former ministers Lluís Puig and Toni Comín.
The political situation in Catalonia
Puigdemont was elected a member of the European Parliament in 2019 and, in 2024, to the Catalan Parliament. He leads the center-right Together for Catalonia party (JxCat).
Despite remaining abroad, the politician continued to advocate the region’s independence and criticize Spain’s democratic institutions.
It is currently unknown exactly when Puigdemont may return to Spain.
As the publication notes, the issue of Catalan independence has now moved to the background of Spanish politics. The main focus is on the housing crisis and immigration.
Following the 2023 elections, parliamentary support from Puigdemont’s party played an important role in forming Spain’s left-wing government led by Pedro Sánchez. However, JxCat’s position is weakening in Catalonia itself: some of its voters are being won over by the far-right Catalan Alliance party, which also supports the region’s independence.