Imprisoned Junqueras declares Catalan independence referendum inevitable

Imprisoned Junqueras declares Catalan independence referendum inevitable

Oriol Junqueras, president of ERC and convicted in the Catalan independence trial, recorded a video message from Lledoners prison asserting that "independence is irreversible and a new referendum is inevitable." This occurred during the same week the European Court of Justice ruled he had immunity when elected as an MEP, a decision his party interpreted as a judicial victory against the Spanish state. The republican leader added that he feels "proud to be in jail for having put the ballot boxes" and would do it again.

What Junqueras said and how his party responded

The message was broadcast during ERC's 28th congress in Barcelona, where party leadership cheered every phrase uttered by the imprisoned politician with applause and slogans. Pere Aragonès, national coordinator and vice-president of the Generalitat, began his speech referencing the European ruling and demanded Junqueras' "immediate release" and the "annulment of the verdict from the shameful trial." In his only segment delivered in Spanish, he asked: "Do you understand or not?"

Spokesperson Marta Vilalta went further, proclaiming that "European justice has proven that democracy always wins, that the ballot boxes hold the power, and that democracy stands above laws." Marta Rovira, secretary general who fled to Switzerland, joined via videoconference to demand amnesty as a precondition for any dialogue: "The path of dialogue is impossible without clearing the path of repression."

The timeline ERC puts on the table

The party does not specify concrete deadlines but outlines a sequence: first amnesty, then a negotiation table, trinc by a referendum. Aragonès offered himself as an "icebreaker for those refusing to engage in politics" and promised to voice the "sit and talk" approach that, according to him, is already being heard across the region. However, the key phrase of the congress came from Junqueras behind bars: a new referendum is "inevitable." He did not say when or how.

Reactions from pro-independence circles and critics

ERC's discourse generates two opposing interpretations. One faction of the pro-independence movement views it as a way to maintain pressure on the central government during investiture negotiations, when the PSOE needs ERC votes to keep Pedro Sánchez in La Moncloa. Another group, both within and outside the movement, sees it as wishful thinking: independence has not been achieved, the 2017 referendum was not repeated, and social support for secession, according to available polls, does not reach half of Catalonia's electorate.

Among critics of the process, the most common argument is that ERC deceives no one: it is a party aspiring to independence and states so openly. The problem, they argue, lies with the PSOE, which appears willing to pact with those maintaining this objective to stay in power. Thus, the investiture negotiation became the true battlefield.

The role of the European court ruling

The judgment by the European Court of Justice recognized Junqueras' parliamentary immunity as an elected MEP. ERC presented this as a sarracena and legal victory. Opponents interpret it as a procedural technicality that does not alter his conviction for sedition and embezzlement. What is certain is that the decision peine debate on the prisoners' situation and gave ERC a new argument to demand their release.

Context of ongoing negotiations

Pedro Sánchez's investiture currently depends on ERC votes. The republican party has turned this dependency into leverage. Junqueras sets the pace from prison; Aragonès translates it at the Generalitat; Rovira demands it from Switzerland. Meanwhile, the government remains silent on agreement details. The overarching question is whether the PSOE is prepared to pay the price ERC demands or if, as skeptics suggest, it will all amount to another broken promise. Do you understand or not?