The former leader of Catalonia says he is ready to return in the next few days to Spain, risking an arrest and giving Pedro Sanchez a headache. A good politician must know how to use his voice in different ways. Carles Puigdemont knows this and doesn’t miss an opportunity to sing in a stentorian voice the national anthem of Catalonia, “Els Segadors”. The leader of the separatist party “Together for Catalonia” remains one of the most popular, yet hated figures in modern Spain.

The wound of 2017

It was in the fall of 2017 when he decided, against warnings from Madrid, to go ahead with a referendum on his homeland’s independence from Spain. Despite violent interventions by the police, the referendum took place. Although the turnout did not exceed 50%, for Puigdemont the result was clear:

“We are reaching this historic moment where, as president of the Catalan government, I am presenting the result of the referendum to you and to all citizens. I undertake the mandate to declare Catalonia an independent state in the form of a republic.”

A few days later the assembled crowd inside and outside the Parliament shouted slogans for freedom and the declaration of independence was voted by a clear majority, as the president of the body announced with emotion:

“The resolution of the declaration is approved by the representatives of the parliament with 70 votes in favor, two against and two abstentions.”

The years of exile

Madrid was not ready to accept such a thing. The actions of Puigdemont and his government were deemed illegal and he fled abroad to avoid arrest. In 2019 he went down and was elected as a member of the European Parliament and would continue his struggle as an exile in Brussels.

“More than a million people voted for us. When so many people vote for you, when you have the right to be elected on a list and people vote for you, the consequence of that should be unquestionable.”

The amnesty agreement

The recent agreement to drop prosecutions against the instigators of the referendum, which Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was forced to sign in order to secure a government majority, was also interpreted as a political victory for Puigdemont.

“Today, the Socialist Party and the Junts per Catalunya reached a framework agreement, where the terms are accepted to start a political negotiation on the terms we demanded and with the common goal of contributing to the resolution of the historic conflict between Catalonia and Spain” .

An episodic comeback?

In the local government elections last May, Puigdemont campaigned from the border with France, but failed to realize his dream of returning as prime minister.

The new government in Barcelona will be formed by the Socialists together with the Republican Left party. Salvador Illa will be the president, and Puigdemont has said he will cross the border to attend his inauguration next Friday or Saturday.

He knows that Spanish authorities will likely try to arrest him, since the infamous amnesty does not extend to charges involving financial offenses during his tenure. If that happens, it is very likely that Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will have a problem that he did not expect, depending on the reactions of the Catalan parties that support him in the national parliament. So everyone is waiting to see if Puigdemont will attempt to create a new episode by provoking the national feelings of the rest of the Spaniards. What is certain is that with him you are never bored.