Spain's Supreme Court denies Puigdemont amnesty, orders his arrest
Spain's Supreme Court refuses to apply the amnesty law to Carles Puigdemont and orders his arrest if he returns. The former Catalan president lashes out at Sánchez over the ERC deal.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Puigdemont left without amnesty and without a way out: the Supreme Court orders his arrest
How does the man who brokered Sánchez's investiture end up calling Sánchez himself a «scandal»? The answer lies in the latest move by Spain's Supreme Court: the amnesty does not apply to Carles Puigdemont. The Supreme Court has made it clear that if he sets foot in Spain, he will be arrested. And the former president has exploded.
The deal that broke the silence
The trigger was the funding agreement between the PSOE (Spain's Socialist Party) and ERC (Catalan Republican Left) that will make Salvador Illa president of the Generalitat, Catalonia's regional government. Puigdemont calls it a «scandal» and attacks Pedro Sánchez. But judicial reality is stubborn: without European immunity (he loses his seat in the European Parliament), any judge can order his arrest. And the Supreme Court has already said there will be no amnesty for him.
High treason and the Russian plot: Judge Aguirre tightens the screws
Judge Aguirre has asked the Supreme Court to investigate Puigdemont for high treason and embezzlement, in connection with the Russian plot linked to Vladímir Pilingui. The charges affect European Union interests and come just as the independence movement expected the amnesty to shield him. It has not. The investigation adds a new legal front that further complicates his return.
The same old circus, but with a smaller salary
Meanwhile, sceptical commentators point out that Puigdemont loses his salary as an MEP and that the procés circle becomes more of a «circus» every day. The irony is that the man who negotiated with Sánchez now insults him, and the man who expected to return in triumph is met with an arrest warrant. Time is against him: the amnesty never came, and the Supreme Court has not budged.
Under these circumstances, Puigdemont's return to Catalonia seems more fiction than a real possibility. Or at least, that is what the courts say. The rest, as always, is politics.
How does the man who brokered Sánchez's investiture end up calling Sánchez himself a «scandal»? The answer lies in the latest move by Spain's Supreme Court: the amnesty does not apply to Carles Puigdemont. The Supreme Court has made it clear that if he sets foot in Spain, he will be arrested. And the former president has exploded.
The deal that broke the silence
The trigger was the funding agreement between the PSOE (Spain's Socialist Party) and ERC (Catalan Republican Left) that will make Salvador Illa president of the Generalitat, Catalonia's regional government. Puigdemont calls it a «scandal» and attacks Pedro Sánchez. But judicial reality is stubborn: without European immunity (he loses his seat in the European Parliament), any judge can order his arrest. And the Supreme Court has already said there will be no amnesty for him.
High treason and the Russian plot: Judge Aguirre tightens the screws
Judge Aguirre has asked the Supreme Court to investigate Puigdemont for high treason and embezzlement, in connection with the Russian plot linked to Vladímir Pilingui. The charges affect European Union interests and come just as the independence movement expected the amnesty to shield him. It has not. The investigation adds a new legal front that further complicates his return.
The same old circus, but with a smaller salary
Meanwhile, sceptical commentators point out that Puigdemont loses his salary as an MEP and that the procés circle becomes more of a «circus» every day. The irony is that the man who negotiated with Sánchez now insults him, and the man who expected to return in triumph is met with an arrest warrant. Time is against him: the amnesty never came, and the Supreme Court has not budged.
Under these circumstances, Puigdemont's return to Catalonia seems more fiction than a real possibility. Or at least, that is what the courts say. The rest, as always, is politics.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (37 replies).
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