The approval of the amnesty law by the Court of Justice of the European Union (TJUE) was described as “unequivocal approval” by Carles Puigdemont. After discussing the decision with the leadership of the Junts party, he stated that “Europe says that he should already be at home”. However, the EU Court’s ruling does not automatically guarantee Puigdemont’s return; it serves as an additional argument for his supporters to demand the full implementation of the amnesty law.
The General Secretary of the independence party Junts, Jordi Turull, urged the Constitutional Court (CC) to “immediately resolve” the amnesty issue to facilitate the return of the party leader, who left the country nine years ago following the unilateral declaration of Catalonia’s independence. Turull, who is second-in-command in Junts, remarked that “today there are no more excuses not to apply the amnesty law effectively”. He added that “the CC cannot go on vacation, knowing that there are people deprived of their rights, and judges who abuse their power by not applying the law that Europe has deemed absolutely clear and legitimate”.
Political Conflict Continues
Jordi Turull also cautioned that the potential application of amnesty to Puigdemont does not signify the end of the “political conflict with Spain”. “We are not giving up on anything. Neither on the realization of Catalonia’s right to self-determination, nor on unilateral action. If someone thinks the conflict is over, they are very mistaken,” he emphasized, calling the EU Court’s decision a “new impulse” for Catalan separatism.
Carles Puigdemont himself stated that now is the time to “regain strength and resources to focus on the main goal — independence”. Turull also warned the government led by Pedro Sánchez that the TJUE’s decision “does not allow for the restoration of relations with those you do not trust”. He ruled out resuming the alliance with the socialists, “until they fulfill what they must”.
Appeals to the Supreme Court
Alongside Turull, Puigdemont‘s lawyer Gonzalo Boye also spoke, urging the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court (SC) to “hurry”, as “Europe has already clearly expressed its position, and they are already late in resolving this issue”. Boye believes the Supreme Court can act on its own initiative without waiting for the Constitutional Court’s decision.
He also stated: “With this decision, appeals are unnecessary. This is unequivocal approval of the amnesty law. From a legal point of view, there are no more debates”.
Junqueras Hopes for a Meeting with Puigdemont
The leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, also called for the application of the amnesty law “without delay”, asserting that after the EU Court’s decision “there are no more excuses”. He urged the Spanish state to “finally close this issue”. “Political rights cannot depend on the will of part of the judiciary that serves certain partisan interests,” stated Junqueras.
Junqueras is barred from holding public office until 2031 due to a conviction for misappropriation, preventing him from running for his party in the 2028 regional elections. This is why he emphasized the “urgent need for the Spanish state to finally close this issue after almost ten years”. “We do not want to remain trapped in the past, we do not want to constantly talk about repression,” he said.
“I hope that soon I will be able to embrace President Puigdemont, and that all political exiles will be able to return home,” added Junqueras. According to him, the EU Court’s decision “does not close the political conflict, but confirms it”. “Today nothing ends, today a new stage begins,” he concluded.
According to: El Mundo
