In 2017, Puigdemont had to flee abroad after the attempted secession from Catalonia. Now he wants to become head of government in the breakaway region again – and fight for independence again.
Former Catalan Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont wants to stand for regional elections in May. If he wins, he would return to Spain regardless of an arrest warrant, Puigdemont said in Elne, a French town about 30 kilometers from the border.
“If a majority proposes me to be sworn in as head of government, I will end my exile on that day and take part in the parliamentary session.” His goal is still the region’s independence from Spain. He will ask the government in Madrid for a referendum.
Puigdemont did not rule out unilateral action if the negotiations were not successful.
Election campaign from exile
The now 61-year-old declared the region independent in 2017 after a controversial referendum. The central government in Madrid then accused him of rebellion and embezzlement of public funds, deposed the Catalan government, ordered new elections and put Puigdemont on a wanted list. He went abroad.
The former journalist lives in Belgium and sits in the EU Parliament. He could benefit from a controversial amnesty law. However, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had agreed to an amnesty with the separatists in order, among other things, to secure his re-election last fall with their votes.
The timing would be tight: Puigdemont can run his election campaign from Belgium. If he wins, he may have to come to Spain for the swearing-in in June. The amnesty is expected to come into force in May or June.
Concern about Puigdemont’s election victory
In Spain, the prospect that Puigdemont could win the election and once again push for a breakaway from the economically strong region in the northeast of the country has sparked great concern. In addition, the minority government of Sánchez is dependent on the votes of the separatists, who can thus give a lot of emphasis to their demands.