Carles Puigdemont, a former head of Catalonia’s regional government and a leading figure of the separatist Together for Catalonia movement, announced his intention to stand in the upcoming Catalan parliamentary elections. The declaration was reported by TASS.
Puigdemont stated, I have decided to run as a candidate in the next Catalan parliamentary elections. This choice comes amid ongoing debates about Catalan self-government and Spain’s constitutional framework.
The politician has argued that the pressures exerted by Spanish authorities were aimed at punishing the Catalan people for their political aspirations and actions surrounding the independence movement. These tensions have persisted in the political landscape following the 2017 events.
Puigdemont led the Catalan government during the controversial 2017 independence referendum and subsequently fled Spain to Belgium after Madrid rejected the vote and prosecutors sought his extradition. His flight occurred in the wake of legal challenges tied to the referendum and the broader political standoff with the central government.
In October, Puigdemont called on Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to recognize Catalonia as a nation. The move signals a continued push for formal acknowledgment of Catalan national identity within the broader Spanish constitutional debate.
Earlier, the European Union Court temporarily restored immunity for Puigdemont, reflecting ongoing legal and diplomatic complexities surrounding his status and the treatment of Catalan leadership in exile. The developments have kept the dialogue about Catalonia’s political status alive across European institutions and border communities. [Source attribution: TASS; EU Court records; ongoing coverage by multiple outlets]