Catalonia’s former president Carles Puigdemont says he plans to return to Spain for the swearing-in of the region’s new head, socialist Salvador Illa, despite facing possible arrest amid heightened political tensions.
Even with the approval of the controversial amnesty law, which pardons the illegal acts of around 300 Catalan separatist leaders and activists between 2011 and 2023, the crime of embezzlement committed by members of Puigdemont’s former government – including himself – during during the illegal independence referendum in October 2017, remains outside this decision.
Puigdemont, former president of the Generalitat – the regional executive – and exiled leader of the separatist group “Together for Catalonia” (JxCat), has a national arrest warrant.
If he decides to cross the border from the French region of Vallespir, where he currently resides after moving there from Waterloo (Belgium), he is very likely to face arrest.
Despite that risk, Puigdemont reiterated on his X account his intention to return to Spain to attend Ila’s swearing-in ceremony, which could take place on Friday (August 9), or this weekend.
“I imagine what awaits me (being arrested), but I know what I have to do,” said Puigdemont while taking it for granted that he will be jailed, “who knows for how long,” he wondered
If the goal is independence, mobilization is a necessary condition; if the goal is to live with the Statute cut by the TC, mobilization is a no-brainer.
Long live free Catalonia!#11s2022
— krls.eth / Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) September 7, 2022
In response, JxCat president Laura Borràs demanded on Monday that Illa formally declare his response if Puigdemont crosses the Franco-Spanish border.
“The question is: what will Salvador Ila do if Puigdemont is arrested at his inauguration because the Spanish judges do not apply the (amnesty) law approved by his party (PSOE) and his government?” Borràs asked.
Following the snap elections held in Catalonia on May 12, political developments in this prosperous region of north-eastern Spain have evolved rapidly.
Socialist candidate Salvador Ila greets his supporters after the announcement of the election results for the Catalan parliament in Barcelona, Sunday, May 12, 2024. The Socialists led by former health minister Ila won a majority of 42 seats, up from their 33 seats in 2021. when they also just won the most votes but cannot form a government on their own. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Ila, a former health minister and leader of the Socialist Party of Catalonia, although he won the regional elections did not collect enough votes to form a majority. Therefore, in recent weeks he has been negotiating day and night with political parties to gain power.
Since Ila’s party (the PSC) does not fully share the separatist ideology, he and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (PSOE/S&D) have been forced to make generous concessions to the ideologically closest party they can work with: the left-wing separatist Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC);
The stability of Sánchez’s progressive executive and the left-wing Sumar platform now depends on both the seven ERC deputies in the Spanish parliament and the seven from Puigdemont’s faction.
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