This week, the parliament of Spain's Catalonia region is set to elect a new leader, although the spotlight might shift to the anticipated return of its ex-leader from voluntary exile, despite an active arrest warrant against him. Carles Puigdemont, the leader of the hardline separatist party Junts, who governed Catalonia from 2016 to 2017 before escaping Spain due to a judiciary-deemed illegal independence referendum, is yet to reveal his strategy for re-entering the country and accessing the regional parliament without being intercepted by law enforcement. Jordi Turull, the secretary-general of Junts, stated on broadcaster 324 that he would advocate for the postponement of the leadership vote if Puigdemont is apprehended, as it would not be feasible to conduct it under normal circumstances without his presence.
The vote is scheduled to endorse Socialist Salvador Illa, supported by the left-wing separatist ERC party following a recent bilateral agreement, and is expected to occur on Thursday, although the parliamentary speaker has not yet confirmed this. In May, the Spanish parliament enacted an amnesty law that pardoned individuals involved in the unsuccessful 2017 secession attempt, but the Supreme Court maintained arrest warrants for Puigdemont and two others, including charges of embezzlement, determining that the amnesty law does not cover them. A source close to Puigdemont informed Reuters that there is certainty Puigdemont, who resided in Belgium from 2017 to 2024 as a member of the European Parliament and has more recently been in southern France, will be arrested upon re-entry into Spain and presented before the Supreme Court in Madrid.
In a public letter on his X account, Puigdemont characterized Spain's attempts to arrest him as a 'hybrid coup', stating that if successful, he is aware of the consequences and his necessary actions. ERC spokesperson Raquel Sans confirmed that Puigdemont's arrest could potentially delay the vote for a new Catalan leader. According to El Periodico, police are prepared to arrest Puigdemont before he reaches the heavily fortified parliament building in Barcelona and are authorized to enter the premises if necessary. Additionally, officers are surveilling the sewer system in case it is used as an alternative entry point.
