Catalan separatist Puigdemont to return to Spain after warrant lifted

Spain’s Constitutional Court ruled an amnesty law for Catalan separatists applied to the politician.

EU Parliament lifts immunity of 3 Catalans, including Puigdemont

Self-exiled Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont could be set to return to Spain after the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that an amnesty law for Catalan separatists applies to embezzlement charges against Puigdemont.

A Supreme Court judge then lifted a warrant for Puigdemont’s arrest on Tuesday, clearing the way for his return without fear of arrest.

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Puigdemont, then president of Catalonia, fled to Belgium in 2017 after holding an independence referendum for his self-governing region to break away from Spain. Madrid said the vote was illegal.

Catalonia unilaterally declared independence from Spain that year after the referendum, with 90 percent of voters backing independence.

He has since avoided several extradition attempts by Spain to face trial over the vote, while many of his confidants and supporters spent time in prison.

Members of Puigdemont’s political party Junts welcomed his potential return.

“It’s a great victory for President Puigdemont and the two other exiled ‌[leaders in Belgium]”, Jordi Turull, secretary-general of Junts, told reporters.

“They held firm, they resisted, they prevailed in Europe, and today they have prevailed against the Spanish state.”

Puigdemont appears set to return to Spain just as the country is preparing for a snap election in November, although an official from his Junts party said he is unlikely to take part.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was only able to remain in power in 2023 when Puigdemont’s Junts party, along with another Catalan party, backed his new government in exchange for the amnesties.

A year ago, Junts withdrew its support for the minority central government, and the party was decisive in Spain’s progressive government losing two key votes in parliament this week when it tried to push through emergency housing measures amid street protests .

Sanchez responded by calling a November snap election, hoping anger over housing will mobilise his voters.

The prime minister told ⁠reporters on Tuesday he did not regret launching the amnesty and welcomed the court ruling.

“I believe the important message is that of coexistence among Catalans,” he said.

Although separatism has lost ground and Junts is trailing in opinion polls, Puigdemont’s return could prompt renewed political drama.

Spain’s conservative People’s Party is leading in opinion polls ahead ‌of the election and may need to seek the support of Junts and other centre-right parties to govern.

西班牙宪法法院裁定，加泰罗尼亚分离主义者的特赦法适用于这位政治家。

欧盟议会取消了包括普伊格德蒙特在内的三名加泰罗尼亚人的豁免权

自我流亡的加泰罗尼亚分离主义领导人卡莱斯·普伊格德蒙特可能即将返回西班牙，此前西班牙宪法法院裁定，针对加泰罗尼亚分离主义者的特赦法适用于对普伊格德蒙特的挪用公款指控。

周二，最高法院法官撤销了对普伊格德蒙特的逮捕令，为他无惧被捕返回扫清了障碍。

列表 1/3 加泰罗尼亚前领导人谴责马德里的“威胁”

德国检察官要求将普伊格德蒙特引渡到西班牙的三份名单之二

西班牙撤回对普伊格德蒙特的引渡请求（共3项，此为第3项）

时任加泰罗尼亚自治区主席的普伊格德蒙特在2017年举行加泰罗尼亚独立公投后逃往比利时。马德里方面称此次公投非法。

加泰罗尼亚在当年的全民公投后单方面宣布脱离西班牙独立，90%的选民支持独立。

此后，他多次躲过了西班牙的引渡请求，得以就投票一事接受审判，而他的许多亲信和支持者则在监狱里待了一段时间。

普伊格蒙特所属政党“团结党”（Junts）的成员对他的潜在回归表示欢迎。

“这对普伊格蒙特总统和另外两位流亡比利时的领导人来说是一场巨大的胜利，”Junts秘书长乔迪·图鲁尔告诉记者。

“他们立场坚定，他们抵抗不屈，他们在欧洲取得了胜利，今天他们又战胜了西班牙政府。”

普伊格蒙特似乎即将返回西班牙，而西班牙正准备在 11 月举行提前大选，尽管他所属的联合党的一位官员表示，他不太可能参加选举。

2023年，普伊格蒙特的“团结党”（Junts）与另一个加泰罗尼亚政党一起支持他的新政府，以此换取特赦，佩德罗·桑切斯首相才得以继续掌权。

一年前，Junts 党撤回了对少数派中央政府的支持。本周，在街头抗议声中，西班牙进步政府试图强行通过紧急住房措施，结果在议会的两项关键投票中失利，Junts 党在其中起到了决定性作用。

桑切斯随即宣布将于11月举行提前选举，希望民众对住房问题的愤怒能够动员他的选民。

总理周二告诉记者，他不后悔启动大赦计划，并对法院的裁决表示欢迎。

“我认为最重要的信息是加泰罗尼亚人之间的共存，”他说。

尽管分离主义势力有所减弱，人民团结党在民意调查中也落后于人民团结党，但普伊格蒙特的回归可能会引发新的政治动荡。

西班牙保守派人民党在选举前的民意调查中领先，可能需要寻求执政党和其他中右翼政党的支持才能执政。