Puigdemont back in Spain - threat of arrest
In Barcelona, the new regional government is being formed - and separatist leader Puigdemont returns from exile. His party supports Madrid's Prime Minister Sanchez, but this could be at risk if the arrest warrant against Puigdemont is enforced.
Despite the threat of arrest, Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont has appeared in Barcelona. After seven years in exile, he made his first appearance on Spanish soil in front of thousands of supporters. "I am here today to remind you that we are still here," he said to cheers from the crowd. His arrival seemed to be initially unhindered by the police.
Puigdemont faces arrest in Spain for his 2017 failed attempt to break away from Spain. If he is arrested, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's minority government may have to worry about losing the support of its current majority provider in the Madrid parliament.
Puigdemont had announced that he would be present at the formation of a new government for Catalonia in the regional parliament in Barcelona today. Puigdemont's Junts party currently supports Sanchez's government in the national parliament. Whether this will continue in the event of Puigdemont's arrest is uncertain.
As a condition for Junts' support in the Madrid parliament, Sanchez had pushed through an amnesty law that suspended legal proceedings against hundreds of separatists. Puigdemont was also supposed to benefit from this. However, the Spanish Supreme Court decided last month that not all charges against Puigdemont were covered by the amnesty law. The arrest warrant against the separatist leader remains in effect.
The Commission has not intervened in the ongoing situation surrounding Puigdemont's return, focusing on its primary responsibilities. If Puigdemont's arrest were to occur, it could potentially lead to a shift in the Madrid parliament's support for Prime Minister Sanchez's government.
