Carles Puigdemont Explained

Carles Puigdemont
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Order1:130th[1]
Office1:President of the Government of Catalonia
Term Start1:12 January 2016
Term End1:27 October 2017
Monarch1:Felipe VI
Vicepresident1:Oriol Junqueras
Predecessor1:Artur Mas
Successor1:Direct rule
Office2:Member of the European Parliament for Spain
Term Start2:2 July 2019
Term End2:10 June 2024
Office3:President of the Council for the Republic
Vicepresident3:Toni Comín
Predecessor3:Office established
Term Start3:8 December 2018
Office4:Member of the Parliament of Catalonia
Constituency4:Barcelona
Term Start4:10 June 2024
Constituency5:Barcelona
Term Start5:17 January 2018
Term End5:30 July 2018
Constituency6:Girona
Term Start6:10 November 2006
Term End6:27 October 2017
Office7:Mayor of Girona
Term Start7:1 July 2011
Term End7:11 January 2016
Office8:Member of the Municipality Council of Girona
Term Start8:11 June 2007
Term End8:11 January 2016
Birth Name:Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó
Birth Place:Amer, Catalonia, Spain
Citizenship:Spanish
Party:Junts (since 2020)
Children:2
Residence:The Hideout, Waterloo, Belgium
Occupation:Journalist, politician
Signature:Signatura de Carles Puigdemont – transparent background.png

Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó (pronounced as /ca/; born 29 December 1962) is a Catalan politician and journalist from Spain. He served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2019 to 2024. A former mayor of Girona, Puigdemont served as President of Catalonia from 2016 to 2017 when he was removed from office by the Spanish Government following the ilegal unilateral Catalan declaration of independence.[2] He is co-founder of the National Call for the Republic (CNxR), leader of the Together for Catalonia (JuntsxCat) electoral alliance and founder of the Together for Catalonia party.

After education in Amer and Girona, he became a journalist in 1982, writing for various local publications and becoming editor-in-chief of El Punt. He was the director of the Catalan News Agency from 1999 to 2002 and the director of Girona's House of Culture from 2002 to 2004. Puigdemont's family were supporters of Catalan independence and Puigdemont became involved in politics as a teenager, joining the nationalist Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC), the predecessor to the PDeCAT, in 1980. He gave up journalism to pursue a career in politics in 2006 when he was elected as a member of the Parliament of Catalonia for the constituency of Girona. He was elected to the Municipality Council of Girona in 2007 and in 2011 he became Mayor of Girona. On 10 January 2016, following an agreement between the Junts pel Sí (JxSí), an electoral alliance led by the CDC, and the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), the Parliament of Catalonia elected Puigdemont as the 130th[3] President of the Government of Catalonia.

On 6–7 September 2017, he approved laws for permitting an independence referendum and the juridical transition and foundation of a Republic, a legal framework superseding the Spanish Constitution to be put in place if the referendum supported independence. On 1 October 2017, the Catalan independence referendum was held in Catalonia despite the suspension of the laws by the Constitutional Court of Spain.[4] Polling stations were partially closed[5] [6] and some saw the use of excessive force by the National Police Corps and Civil Guard.[7] A total 43% of Catalan citizens voted in the referendum, 92% of them supporting independence. The Catalan Parliament declared independence on 27 October 2017 which resulted in the Spanish government imposing direct rule on Catalonia, dismissing Puigdemont and the Catalan government. The Catalan Parliament was dissolved and the 2017 Catalan regional election was held. On 30 October 2017 charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds were brought against Puigdemont and other members of the Puigdemont Government. Puigdemont, along with others, fled to Belgium and European Arrest Warrants (EAW) were issued against them. At the regional elections held on 21 December 2017, Puigdemont's party, Together for Catalonia, was second, and Catalan secessionists retained a slim majority of seats and 47.6% of votes. Puigdemont called for fresh talks with the then Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy but these were rejected.[8]

Puigdemont remained in Belgium to avoid arrest if he returned to Spain, with this situation being defined as exile by some, self-imposed exile by some others, and also as fugitive from justice.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] On 25 March 2018, he was detained by the German: [[Autobahnpolizei]] (highway patrol) acting on his European Arrest Warrant in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. He was released on bail, with the state high court deciding he could not be extradited for "rebellion"[14] [15] [16] as German law does not coincide with Spanish law on the definition thereof, a requirement of his EAW. On 10 July 2018 a Spanish Supreme Court judge suspended him as a deputy in the Catalan parliament.[17] On 12 July 2018, a German court decided that he could be extradited back to Spain for misuse of public funds, but not for the more serious charge of rebellion.[18] Puigdemont's legal team said they would appeal any decision to extradite him. Following the German court decision, on 19 July 2018, Spain dropped the European arrest warrants against Puigdemont and other Catalan officials in self-exile.[19] He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament after the 2019 European Parliament election in Spain. In March 2021, the European Parliament voted to lift his parliamentary immunity.[20] On 23 September 2021, it was reported that he had been arrested by police in Sardinia, Italy, acting on a tip-off and was being asked to be transferred to Spain under the terms of a European arrest warrant.[21] After a night in prison, he was released without any precautionary measures.[22] His parliamentary immunity was restored by European Court of Justice in May 2022.[23]

Early life and family

Puigdemont was born on 29 December 1962 in Amer, a village in the comarca of la Selva in the province of Girona in north-eastern Catalonia, Spain.[24] [25] The son of Francesc Xavier Puigdemont i Oliveras, a baker, and Francesc's wife Núria Casamajó i Ruiz, he is the second of eight brothers.[25] [26] Puigdemont's maternal grandmother was Andalusian.[27] [28] Puigdemont's grandfather, who fought in the Spanish Civil War before fleeing to France, founded the Pastisseria Puigdemont in 1928.[29] [30] [31] The Puigdemont family still own the bakery located in Amer's main square.[32] Puigdemont's great-grandfather and his uncle Josep Puigdemont were mayors of Amer and were supporters of Catalan independence, as was Puigdemont's father Xavier.[30]

Puigdemont received basic education in Amer before, aged nine, he was sent to study at the Church-run Santa Maria del Collell boarding school in Girona where he was taught in Spanish and "learned to be a fighter".[25] [33] At the age of 16 he was already a reporter for the Diari de Girona newspaper, writing articles on football and other news.

As a teenager Puigdemont attended political meetings with his uncle Josep and helped found the Nationalist Youth of Catalonia.[30] In 1980 he joined the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC), a conservative Catalan nationalist political party.[25]

After school Puigdemont joined the University College of Girona to study Catalan philology but dropped out to pursue a career in journalism.[26] [30] [33] In 1983, aged 21, Puigdemont was involved in a car accident which left him seriously injured and with a slight scar on his face.[26] [30] It has been suggested that this explains his Beatle haircut but friends deny this.[26] [30]

Journalism career

Puigdemont joined the El Punt, a pro-independence Catalan language newspaper, as a journalist in 1982.[25] [30] [34] He rose through the ranks to become the paper's editor-in-chief.[24] He also wrote a weekly column for the Presència magazine.[24] He is a member of the Catalan Journalists Association.

Beginning in 1988, Puigdemont started collecting references about Catalonia in the international press, material that resulted in the publication of the 1994 book Cata... què? Catalunya vista per la premsa internacional ("Cata...what? Catalonia as seen by the foreign press").[35] During the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona Puigdemont was a member of an organisation supporting Catalan nationalists detained as part of "Operation Garzón".

In the 1990s Puigdemont took a year off work to study linguistic policies elsewhere in Europe.[30] As a result, he started working on application of new technologies in the provision of news and founded the Catalan News Agency (ACN) which was established by the Generalitat de Catalunya in 1999.[24] [30] Puigdemont also founded Catalonia Today, an English-language magazine.[24] [36] Puigdemont was director of ACN until 2002, when the then-president of the Diputació de Girona, Carles Pàramo, offered him the position of director of the Girona cultural centre, the Casa de Cultura, a position he held until 2004.[37]

Political career

Puigdemont left journalism to devote himself fully to politics in 2006 when the Convergence and Union (CiU) electoral alliance invited him to be a candidate for the Parliament of Catalonia.[38] Puigdemont contested the 2006 regional election as a CiU candidate in the Province of Girona and was elected.[39] He was re-elected at the 2010, 2012 and 2015 regional elections, the latter as a Junts pel Sí (JxSí) electoral alliance candidate.[40] [41] [42]

Puigdemont contested the 2007 local elections as a CiU candidate in Girona and was elected but the CiU remained in opposition.[43] At the 2011 local elections, in which Puigdemont was re-elected, the CiU ended the Socialists's 32-year rule in Girona.[24] [44] Puigdemont became Mayor of Girona.[30] [45] He was re-elected at the 2015 local elections.[46] He was a member of executive committee of the Association of Municipalities for Independence and in July 2015 succeeded Josep Maria Vila d'Abadal as its chair.[24] [37] [47]

Following a last-minute agreement between pro-Catalan independence parties Junts pel Sí and Popular Unity Candidacy to replace Artur Mas due in part to the various alleged cases of corruption and the austerity cuts under his government,[48] [49] Puigdemont was elected the 130th [50] [51] [24] [37] [52] [53] [54] [55] President of Catalonia on 10 January 2016.[26] [37] [56] [57] He resigned as Mayor of Girona on 11 January 2016 as no-one is allowed to be a regional president and a municipal mayor at the same time.[58] He was the first president of Catalonia to refuse to take the oath of loyalty to the Spanish constitution and the Spanish monarch.[24]

Constitutional crisis

See main article: Catalan declaration of independence and 2017–18 Spanish constitutional crisis. In June 2017 Puigdemont announced that the Catalan independence referendum would be held on 1 October 2017.[59] [60] The Catalan Parliament passed legislation on 6 September 2017 authorising the referendum which would be binding and based on a simple majority without a minimum threshold.[61] [62] The following day, the Constitutional Court of Spain suspended the legislation, blocking the referendum.[63] [64] The Spanish government put into effect Operation Anubis in order to disrupt the organisation of the referendum and arrested Catalan government officials.[65] [66] Despite this the referendum went ahead though it was boycotted by opponents of secessionism[67] and turnout was only 43%.[68] [69] Among those who voted 92% supported independence.[70] [71] Around 900 people were injured as the Spanish police used violence to try to prevent voting in the referendum.[72] [73] [74]

On 27 October 2017 the Catalan Parliament declared independence in a vote boycotted by opposition MPs.[75] [76] Almost immediately the Senate of Spain invoked article 155 of the constitution, dismissing Puigdemont and the Catalan government and imposing direct rule on Catalonia.[77] [78] The following day Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dissolved the Catalan Parliament and called for fresh regional elections on 21 December 2017.[79] [80] On 30 October 2017 Spanish Attorney General José Manuel Maza laid charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds at the Audiencia Nacional against Puigdemont and other members of the Catalan government.[81] [82] The charges carry maximum sentences of 30, 15 and 6 years in prison respectively.[83]

Puigdemont and five other Catalan ministers (Dolors Bassa, Meritxell Borrás, Antoni Comín, Joaquim Forn and Meritxell Serret) arrived in Belgium on 30 October 2017.[84] [85] According to Spanish media the group had driven to Marseille shortly after the charges were laid before the Audiencia Nacional and from there flown to Brussels.[86] [87] Puigdemont claimed that he had gone to "the capital of Europe" to speak from a position of "freedom and safety" and that he would not return to Spain unless he was guaranteed a fair trial.[88] [89] [90] Earlier Belgium's Secretary of State for Asylum, Migration and Administrative Simplification Theo Francken had stated that the prospect of Puigdemont being granted asylum was "not unrealistic".[91] [92]

Move to Belgium

On 3 November 2017 a Spanish judge issued European Arrest Warrants against Comín, Clara Ponsatí i Obiols, Lluís Puig, Puigdemont and Serret after they failed to attend a high court hearing in Madrid the previous day.[93] [94] [95] On 5 November 2017 the five politicians, accompanied by their lawyers, surrendered to the Belgian police, but after a ten-hour hearing a Belgian judge released them all on bail.[96] [97] [98] They were ordered not to leave Belgium without permission and had to provide details of their accommodation.[99] On 5 December 2017 the Supreme Court of Spain withdrew the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) against Puigdemont and four others stating that EAW were not valid for alleged crimes committed by a wider group of people, e.g. the Catalan government.[100] [101] But judge warned that the national arrest warrants remain valid, meaning that the group risked arrest if they returned to Spain.[102] [103]

Catalan elections

While remaining self-exiled, Puigdemont contested the 2017 regional election as a Together for Catalonia (JuntsxCat) electoral alliance candidate in the Province of Barcelona and was re-elected to Parliament.[104] At the election Catalan secessionists retained a slim majority in the Catalan Parliament.[105] [106] After the election Puigdemont called for new unconditional talks with the Spanish government and that he was willing to meet Rajoy outside of Spain.[107] [108] Rajoy rejected the offer, saying that he was only willing to speak with the leader of the Catalan government, whom he considered to be Inés Arrimadas, leader of the unionist Citizens, the largest single party in the Catalan Parliament.[109] [110]

On 23 February 2018, Puigdemont's portrait was ordered to be removed from Santiago Sierra's “Contemporary Spanish Political Prisoners” exhibition in Madrid.[111]

On 1 March 2018, Puigdemont was hoping to be selected by the Catalan Parliament as President of Catalonia again, but the Catalan Parliament heeded warnings from Spain's judiciary and postponed the session in which Puigdemont could be selected. Subsequently, Puigdemont announced that he was no longer seeking re-election as leader of Catalonia.[112] [113] Later he announced the creation of a government-in-exile organization named "Council of the Republic".[114] [115]

Arrest in Germany

On 25 March 2018, while returning to Brussels from a trip to Finland, Puigdemont was stopped in Germany near the Danish border and arrested pursuant to the European warrant that had been reissued against him two days previously.[116] [117] [118] On 5 April 2018, the Oberlandesgericht (Higher State Court) in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein ruled that Puigdemont would not be extradited on charges of rebellion, and released him on bail while deliberating about the extradition on charges of misuse of public funds.[119] [120] [121] According to that decision, Puigdemont was required to report to police once a week and could not leave Germany without permission of the public prosecutor.[122]

After his release, Puigdemont called on Spain's government to release Catalan separatists from imprisonment and establish a dialog with them.[123]

On 12 July 2018 the higher court in Schleswig-Holstein confirmed that Puigdemont could not be extradited by the crime of rebellion, but may still be extradited based on charges of misuse of public funds. Puigdemont's legal team said they would appeal any decision to extradite him. Ultimately, though, Spain dropped its European arrest warrant, ending the extradition attempt.[19] Puigdemont was once again free to travel, and chose to return to Belgium.

In January 2019 Puigdemont filed a constitutional application for amparo directed against the president of the Catalan parliament, Roger Torrent and the Board of the Chamber. The complaint, presented to the Spanish Constitutional Court, argued Puigdemont had been denied the use of his political rights as Torrent did not allow him to delegate his vote from Belgium after Puigdemont's criminal indictment and suspension of his parliamentary condition by Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena.[124]

Following the April 2019 arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Puigdemont said that "Human rights, and especially freedom of expression, are under attack once again in Europe."[125]

European elections

Puigdemont was placed first on the list for the 2019 European Parliament election in Spain and he was elected member of the European Parliament. However, he refused to attend the act of observance of the Spanish Constitution before the Junta Electoral Central in Madrid, a requirement to acquire a certificate as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).[126] The consequential absence of Puigdemont and Toni Comín in the list of certificated Spanish MEPs was communicated to them by the president of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani through a letter; the letter also explained that, therefore, he could not address them as MEPs.[127] Puigdemont and Comín filed a request before the General Court of the European Union asking for precautionary measures against the decision of the European Parliament, which was dismissed.[128] He spent much of the inaugural session of the European Parliament on 2 July 2019 in the German city of Kehl, across the Rhine from the seat of the European Parliament in the city of Strasbourg, located on French soil and avoided by Puigdemont.[129] Judge Pablo Llarena has reactivated a detention order of Puigdemont both in Europe and also reactivated an international detention order of Puigdemont in October 2019.[130] On 20 December 2019, Puigdemont was accredited as an MEP after a ruling from the European Court of Justice said that he was permitted to take on his role as MEP.[131]

Puigdemont and Comín attended their first EP session on 13 January 2020 as non-attached members. Puigdemont's first intervention dealt with a defense of the right of self-determination.[132] Both MEPs asked to join the Greens–European Free Alliance (EU parliament party political group); co-president Philippe Lamberts acknowledged the group considered the request a "problem" for them and, while entertaining internal debate in order to decide on the issue, Lamberts deemed the most logical outcome would be for them to join the group to which "their best Belgian friends" (the N-VA) belong.[133] Also in January 2020, Spanish Supreme Court judge Manuel Marchena proceeded to file an application before EP President David Sassoli in order to revoke the immunity of Puigdemont and Comín.[134]

Later in January 2020, just hours before the scheduled internal vote among the Greens/ALE MEPs on the request filed by Puigdemont and Comín to join the Greens/ALE group, both Puigdemont and Comín withdrew their application.[135]

On 30 April 2021, Morocco granted Puigdemont asylum. According to a source from the Moroccan foreign ministry, the decision was made in due to "the principle of reciprocity to host the Catalan independence leader" after Sahrawi President Brahim Ghali was allowed to go to Spain to get treated for COVID-19.[136]

Arrest in Italy

On 23 September 2021, Puigdemont was arrested at the Alghero–Fertilia Airport by the Italian police after getting off a flight from Brussels.[137] The arrest took place following a Spanish Supreme Court European Arrest Warrant issued in 2019. At a court hearing the day after his arrest, he was released without any precautionary measures, in line with the Italian prosecutor's request.[138] [139] The purpose of the trip was to meet with Algheresi authorities and Sardinian separatist and at the same time to attend the Aplec International in Adifolk which was to take place in the "Barceloneta of Sardinia" between 24 and 26 September.[140]

The announcement of the arrest prompted Puigdemont to regain a prominent role and to be at the centre of the Catalan political scene. One day after his release, during a press conference Puigdemont announced that he would attend an oral hearing scheduled to take place on 4 October in the Sassari court, together with his lawyer Gonzalo Boye.[141]

Return to Spain

On 8 August 2024, Puigdemont made a return to Spain after seven years in self-imposed exile in Belgium,[142] delivering a defiant speech at the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona advocating for Catalonia’s right to self-determination before quickly disappearing, sparking a large-scale police operation. "Holding a referendum is not and will never be a crime," Puigdemont stated, before disappearing among the crowds.[143] The Catalan police set up roadblocks and arrested an officer whose car was reportedly used in Puigdemont’s escape, raising questions about the force's involvement. This incident coincided with the investiture of Salvador Illa as the new Catalan president, marking a shift in the region's political focus from sovereignty to social issues. Puigdemont's reappearance and subsequent disappearance have further complicated the political landscape, drawing sharp criticism from opposition leaders who view the event as damaging to Spain's image. Alberto Núñez Feijóo described Puigdemont’s stunt as "an unbearable humiliation", and Santiago Abascal from Vox described it as "the destruction of the state beamed live on Spanish television".[144]

Ideology and positions

One of the founders of the youth organization of the right-of-centre Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) in the province of Girona, Puigdemont has associated himself since then with the most staunchly pro-independence faction in the party.[145] His tenure as mayor in Girona was characterised by liberal economic policies.

In 2017, Puigdemont considered the European Union (EU) to be a "club of decadent and obsolescent countries" that was "controlled by a small few", also suggesting that Catalonia should be allowed to vote on its exit from the EU if Catalans wanted it.[146] Although he openly supports the EU and euro, he has supported the idea that "we should work to change it".[147] He has rejected an EU which does not protect human rights and the right of representation.[148] He has denied being "europhobic", and he has referred to himself and his party not as eurosceptic but as "euro-demanding".[149]

On 17 February 2022, days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Puigdemont did not support the package of measures designed to aid Ukraine, as issued by the European Parliament.[150] Some of Puigdemont's aides were previously reported to have links with the Kremlin,[151] including with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. In September 2021, the European Parliament, which had previously lifted the parliamentary immunity of Puigdemont, launched a deeper investigation into the possible criminal implications of such contacts. No conclusive evidence has been presented.[152]

In May 2024, Puigdemont pointed to the fact that Spain had decided to recognize Palestine but not Kosovo, "a country with which the European Union has diplomatic relations". He also accused Spain of helping Turkey "to suppress the Kurds". Puigdemont said that "Above all, Spain is the country that suppressed the democratic referendum of Catalonia" on 1 October 2017.[153]

Personal life

Puigdemont married Romanian journalist Marcela Topor in 2000.[37] [154] They have two daughters, Magali and Maria, and live in Girona.[36] [154] He speaks Catalan, English, French, Romanian and Spanish.[30] [34] Puigdemont is a supporter of Girona FC and FC Barcelona and plays rock guitar and the electric piano.[155] [37] [156] [157] As a teenager Puigdemont played bass in a short-lived Catalan rock band formed about 1980.[157]

On 2 February 2018, the Belgian commune of Waterloo confirmed that he had rented a villa and planned to establish his official residence there.[158]

Electoral history

Election! scope=col
Constituencyscope=colPartyscope=colAlliancescope=colNo.scope=colResult
6 Elected
1 Elected
6 Elected
1 Elected
3 Elected
1 Elected
3 Elected
1 Elected
2019 European[159] SpainNational Call for the Republic1 Elected
2024RegionalProvince of BarcelonaTogether for Catalonia1Elected

References

Informational notes
  • Citations

    • External links

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    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Presidents of the Generalitat . catalangovernment.eu . . 10 July 2020 . 3 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200803162517/https://catalangovernment.eu/catalangovernment/government/presidents . live .
    2. News: Catalan leader vows 'peaceful resistance' as Madrid takes control of region . . 28 October 2017 . 18 June 2018 . 18 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180618125900/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/28/spain-fires-catalan-government-independence-carles-puigdemont-mariano-rajoy . live .
    3. Web site: Associated Press. Spain: Catalonia parliament to vote for new region. Harold. Heckle. Business Insider. 10 January 2016. Puigdemont was voted in as Catalonia's 130th president in a 70-63 vote, with two abstentions in the 135-seat chamber.. 14 November 2019. 15 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210315162654/https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-spain-catalonia-parliament-to-vote-for-new-region-2016-1?r=US&IR=T. live.
    4. News: El Constitucional suspende el referéndum del 1-O y apercibe a los cargos independentistas. es. La Vanguardia. 10 July 2021. 10 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210710143151/https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20170907/431116462101/tribunal-constitucional-prohibe-1-o.html. live.
    5. News: Los Mossos aseguran que impidieron el voto en 99 colegios electorales el 1 de octubre. El Pais. es. 11 October 2017. 16 July 2021. 16 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210716182048/https://elpais.com/ccaa/2017/10/11/catalunya/1507726076_574243.html. live.
    6. Web site: Police close voting centres before Catalan referendum. Grierson. Jamie. 2017-09-30. The Guardian. 2018-10-29. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306003942/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/30/police-close-more-than-half-of-voting-centres-ahead-of-catalan-referendum. live.
    7. News: Spain: Police Used Excessive Force in Catalonia. 2017-10-12. Human Rights Watch. 2018-10-29. 23 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201123182603/https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/10/12/spain-police-used-excessive-force-catalonia. live.
    8. Web site: 2017-10-12 . Catalan president accuses Mariano Rajoy of ignoring call for talks . 2022-12-29 . the Guardian . en.
    9. News: Exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont ordered to return for re-election. The Telegraph. 28 January 2018. 15 February 2018. 16 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180216025138/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/28/exiled-catalan-leader-carles-puigdemont-ordered-return-re-election/. live.
    10. News: Catalonia Separatists Support Re-Election of Exiled Leader Puigdemont. The Wall Street Journal. 10 January 2018. 15 February 2018. 16 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180216025047/https://www.wsj.com/articles/catalonia-separatists-support-re-election-of-exiled-leader-puigdemont-1515609265. live.
    11. News: Catalonia's Separatists: In Exile. In Jail. In Power?. The New York Times. 5 January 2018. 15 February 2018. 15 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180215204325/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/05/world/europe/catalonias-separatists-in-exile-oriol-junqueras-carles-puigdemont.html. live.
    12. News: Fugitive Catalan leader denies giving up independence bid after text messages saying 'battle is over'. The Independent. 31 January 2018. 13 February 2018. 11 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180211141854/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/carles-puigdemont-catalan-independence-battle-over-telephone-text-messages-twitter-a8188266.html. live.
    13. News: Exiled Catalan leader rents £4,000-a-month house in Belgium, fuelling rumours he won't go home. The Telegraph. 2 February 2018. 13 February 2018. 14 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180214142048/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/02/exiled-catalan-leader-rents-4000-a-month-house-waterloo-fuelling/. live.
    14. Web site: Carles Puigdemont: Former Catalan president 'detained'. 25 March 2018. BBC. 25 March 2018. 25 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180325110951/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43532217. live.
    15. Web site: Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont held by German police . 25 March 2018 . Stephen . Burgen . Philip . Oltermann . . 25 March 2018 . 25 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180325115005/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/25/catalan-leader-carles-puigdemont-held-by-german-police . live .
    16. News: Puigdemont, detenido por la policía alemana cuando entraba desde Dinamarca. El Mundo. 2018-03-25. es. 25 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180325102822/http://www.elmundo.es/cataluna/2018/03/25/5ab7797f468aeb01788b4648.html. live.
    17. https://elpais.com/politica/2018/07/10/actualidad/1531222075_746937.html Llarena cierra el sumario del 'procés' y suspende como diputados a Puigdemont y Junqueras
    18. Web site: Oltermann . Philip . Carles Puigdemont can be extradited to Spain, German court rules . The Guardian . 12 July 2018 . 12 July 2018 . 12 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180712115143/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/12/german-court-says-carles-puigdemont-extradition-is-permissable . live .
    19. News: Catalan case: Spain drops warrant against Puigdemont . BBC News . 19 July 2018 . 19 July 2018 . 20 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180720014132/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44886547 . live .
    20. News: Puigdemont: 'Sad day' for democracy as MEPs vote to lift immunity . 25 September 2022 . euronews . 9 March 2021 . en.
    21. News: Casey. Nicholas. 2021-09-23. Catalan Separatist Leader, Carles Puigdemont, Is Arrested in Italy. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-09-24. 0362-4331. 24 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210924034733/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/23/world/europe/puigdemont-arrested-catalonia-spain-italy.html. live.
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    23. Web site: EU court reinstates MEP immunity of Catalonia's Carles Puigdemont . euronews . 20 June 2023 . en . 24 May 2022.
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    99. News: Catalonia ex-officials freed by Belgian judge. 27 December 2017. BBC News. 6 November 2017. London, UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171106182320/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41881961. 6 November 2017. dmy-all.
    100. News: Stone. Jon. Spain withdraws international arrest warrant for ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont. 27 December 2017. The Independent. 5 December 2017. London, UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000340/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spain-carles-puigdemont-catalan-president-catalonia-international-arrest-warrant-supreme-court-a8092511.html. 28 December 2017. dmy-all.
    101. News: Spanish court withdraws arrest warrant for ousted Catalan leader. 27 December 2017. CNN. 5 December 2017. Atlanta, US. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000616/http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/05/europe/spain-catalonia-puigdemont-arrest-warrant-withdrawn-intl/index.html. 28 December 2017. dmy-all.
    102. News: Burgen. Stephen. Boffey. Daniel. Spanish judge withdraws arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont. 27 December 2017. The Guardian. 5 December 2017. London, UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171227060445/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/05/spanish-judge-withdraws-arrest-warrants-for-carles-puigdemont. 27 December 2017. dmy-all.
    103. News: Spain withdraws European arrest warrant for Puigdemont. 27 December 2017. Al Jazeera. 5 December 2017. Doha, Qatar. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226185124/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/spain-withdraws-european-arrest-warrant-puigdemont-171205122741792.html. 26 December 2017. dmy-all.
    104. Web site: Eleccions al Parlament de Catalunya 2017: Composició del Parlament. Generalitat de Catalunya. 26 December 2017. ca. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222105244/https://resultats.parlament2017.cat/09AU/DAU09000XX.htm?lang=ca. 22 December 2017. dmy-all.
    105. News: Jackson. Russell. Catalan independence supporters win majority in election. 27 December 2017. The Scotsman. 22 December 2017. Edinburgh, UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228053854/https://www.scotsman.com/news/world/catalan-independence-supporters-win-majority-in-election-1-4645383. 28 December 2017. dmy-all.
    106. News: Parra. Aritz. Giles. Ciaran. Catalan secessionist parties win slim majority in regional parliament. 27 December 2017. Toronto Star. Associated Press. 21 December 2017. Toronto, Canada. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000632/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/12/21/spain-holds-breath-as-deeply-divided-catalonia-votes-in-regional-elections.html. 28 December 2017. dmy-all.
    107. News: Catalan leader Puigdemont urges Madrid to start talks after separatists' election win. 27 December 2017. Euronews. 22 December 2017. Lyon, France. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171227235825/http://www.euronews.com/2017/12/22/catalan-leader-puigdemont-calls-on-madrid-to-start-talks-after-separatists-election-win. 27 December 2017. dmy-all.
    108. News: Catalonia election: Puigdemont calls for talks with Spain. 27 December 2017. BBC News. 22 December 2017. London, UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226025111/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42451100. 26 December 2017. dmy-all.
    109. News: Sengupta. Kim. Catalonia election: Mariano Rajoy rejects call for talks outside Spain from Carles Puigdemont. 27 December 2017. The Independent. 22 December 2017. London, UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228000113/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/catalonia-election-independence-mariano-rajoy-carles-puigdemont-talks-dialogue-reject-a8125486.html. 28 December 2017. dmy-all.
    110. News: Fugitive former Catalan leader's call for talks with Madrid rejected by PM Rajoy. 27 December 2017. South China Morning Post. Agence France-Presse, Associated Press. 22 December 2017. Hong Kong, China. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228055521/http://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2125486/fugitive-former-catalan-leaders-call-talks-madrid-rejected-pm. 28 December 2017. dmy-all.
    111. News: Minder . Raphael . Spanish Artwork Denounced Political 'Persecution.' It Was Ordered Removed. . 19 February 2022 . The New York Times . 21 February 2018.
    112. Web site: Carles Puigdemont Abandons Bid for Catalonia Presidency. Patrick. Kingsley. Raphael. Minder. 1 March 2018. The New York Times. 25 March 2018. 9 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201109041134/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/world/europe/puigdemont-catalonia-spain.html. live.
    113. Web site: Hume . Tim . Catalonia's exiled leader drops bid to be president again . Vice News . 2 March 2018 . 2 March 2018 . 12 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190512142016/https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/7x7jmb/catalonias-exiled-leader-drops-bid-to-be-president-again . live .
    114. Web site: Piñol . Àngels . Baquero . Camilo S. . Catalan separatists want to create symbolic institutions in Brussels . El País . 2 March 2018 . 2 March 2018 . 23 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191123123530/https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/03/01/inenglish/1519901180_434509.html . live .
    115. Web site: Madrid . Owen Bowcott Sam Jones in . Exclusive: Puigdemont vows to lead Catalan government in exile . The Guardian . 2 March 2018 . 2 March 2018 . 11 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190411182318/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/02/exclusive-carles-puigdemont-vows-lead-catalan-government-exile . live .
    116. Web site: Fugitive former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont arrested in Germany . The Independent . 25 March 2018 . 25 March 2018 . 9 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032310/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/carles-puigdemont-catalan-president-arrested-germany-a8272861.html . live .
    117. Web site: Catalonia ex-leader Carles Puigdemont arrested in Germany . www.aljazeera.com . 25 March 2018 . 24 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200624193700/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/catalonia-leader-carles-puigdemont-detained-germany-180325105531050.html . live .
    118. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/25/world/europe/germany-carles-puigdemont.html Carles Puigdemont Is Arrested in Germany, Drawing E.U. Giant Into Catalan Fight
    119. what was requested by the public prosecutor for Schleswig-Holstein on 3 April 2018 (see "German prosecutors seek extradition of Catalonia's Carles Puigdemont", dw.com, 3 April 2018).
    120. News: Germany refuses to extradite Catalonia's Puigdemont on rebellion charges. 5 April 2018. The Independent. 5 April 2018. 5 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180405214138/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/carles-puigdemont-catalonia-germany-extradite-charges-rebellion-spain-arrest-a8290806.html. live.
    121. News: Oberlandesgericht: Kataloniens Ex-Präsident Carles Puigdemont kommt unter Auflagen frei. Welt. 5 April 2018. Die Welt. 5 April 2018. de. 15 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210315162709/https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article175211391/Carles-Puigdemont-muss-sich-einmal-pro-Woche-bei-der-Polizei-melden.html. live.
    122. https://www.noz.de/deutschland-welt/politik/artikel/1185614/puigdemont-kommt-unter-auflagen-frei "Puigdemont kommt unter Auflagen frei"
    123. Web site: Leaving jail, Puigdemont calls for dialogue with Madrid . Reuters . 6 April 2018 . 9 April 2018 . 9 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180409110026/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-spain-politics-catalonia-germany/leaving-jail-puigdemont-calls-for-dialogue-with-madrid-idUKKCN1HD1D0 . live .
    124. Puigdemont lleva a Torrent y la Mesa del Parlament ante el Constitucional por retirarle la delegación de voto. eldiario.es. Arturo. Puente. Gonzalo. Cortijo. 21 January 2019. 27 January 2019. 28 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190128030316/https://www.eldiario.es/catalunya/politica/Puigdemont-Torrent-Mesa-Parlament-Constitucional_0_859514835.html. live.
    125. News: Edward Snowden, Rafael Correa Condemn Julian Assange Arrest: 'This Is a Dark Moment for Press Freedom' . Newsweek . 11 April 2019 . 14 April 2019 . 12 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190412171121/https://www.newsweek.com/edward-snowden-rafael-correa-condemn-julian-assange-arrest-dark-moment-press-1393030 . live .
    126. Web site: La Justicia española mantiene vacantes los escaños de Puigdemont y Comín en la Eurocámara. EuroEFE. 27 June 2019. 4 July 2019. 4 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190704042019/http://euroefe.euractiv.es/1311_actualidad/6212730_la-justicia-espanola-mantiene-vacantes-los-escanos-de-puigdemont-y-comin-en-la-eurocamara.html. live.
    127. Tajani responde a Puigdemont que la entrega del acta de eurodiputado depende de España. El País. 28 June 2019. Álvaro. Sánchez. 4 July 2019. 30 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190630090435/https://elpais.com/politica/2019/06/28/actualidad/1561712084_628654.html. live.
    128. Web site: La Justicia europea desestima la petición de Puigdemont y Comín para asumir como eurodiputados. EuroEfe. 1 July 2019. 4 July 2019. 4 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190704040011/http://euroefe.euractiv.es/1310_regiones/6219198_la-justicia-europea-desestima-la-peticion-de-puigdemont-y-comin-para-asumir-como-eurodiputados.html. live.
    129. La Vanguardia. Puigdemont y Comín evitan pisar Estrasburgo ante el riesgo de detención. Luis B.. García. María-Paz. López. 2 July 2019. 4 July 2019. 3 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190703154717/https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20190702/463233862892/puigdemont-alemania-alsacia-parlamento-europeo.html. live.
    130. Web site: El juez Llarena reactiva la euroorden contra Carles Puigdemont. 2019-10-14. Expansión. es. 2019-11-11. 29 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191029183946/https://www.expansion.com/economia/politica/2019/10/14/5da462cee5fdea49778b45aa.html. live.
    131. Web site: Puigdemont se acredita como eurodiputado y denuncia una acción 'ilegal' de Tajani. Masdeu. Jaume. 20 December 2019. LaVanguardia. es. 20 December 2019. 15 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210315162659/https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20191220/472367535737/puigdemont-acredita-eurodiputado-denuncia-accion-tajani.html. live.
    132. Web site: Puigdemont se estrena en el PE y los socialistas dicen que dejarán trabajar a la justicia. EFE-Estrasburgo. 2020-01-14. euractiv.es. es-ES. 2020-01-14. 14 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200114125736/https://euractiv.es/section/europa-de-las-regiones/news/puigdemont-se-estrena-en-el-pe-y-los-socialistas-dicen-que-dejaran-trabajar-a-la-justicia/. live.
    133. Web site: Els Verds a l'Eurocambra veuen un "problema" i "incongruent" l'entrada de Puigdemont i Comín al seu grup. ACN. El Punt Avui. ca. 2020-01-14. 14 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200114125725/http://www.elpuntavui.cat/politica/article/17-politica/1724007-els-verds-a-l-eurocambra-veuen-un-problema-i-incongruent-l-entrada-de-puigdemont-i-comin-al-seu-grup.html. live.
    134. Web site: Presidente del Supremo pide formalmente al PE el suplicatorio para Puigdemont. 2020-01-13. La Vanguardia. es. 2020-01-14. 14 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200114140556/https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20200113/472870171907/presidente-del-supremo-pide-formalmente-al-pe-el-suplicatorio-para-puigdemont.html. live.
    135. Web site: Puigdemont y Comín renuncian a integrarse en el grupo de Los Verdes/ALE de la Eurocámara. 2020-01-29. Europa Press. 2020-01-29. 29 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200129163509/https://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-puigdemont-comin-renuncian-integrarse-grupo-verdes-ale-eurocamara-20200129090038.html. live.
    136. Web site: Morocco grants asylum to former Catalan leader in response to Polisario visit to Spain. 2021-04-30. Middle East Monitor. 2021-04-30. 19 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210519135419/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210430-morocco-grants-asylum-to-former-catalan-leader-in-response-to-polisario-visit-to-spain/. live.
    137. Web site: 2021-09-24. Carles Puigdemont freed after arrest in Italy. 2021-10-01. POLITICO. en-US.
    138. Web site: Periódico. El. 2021-09-25. Carles Puigdemont, en llibertat a Sardenya Última hora en DIRECTE. 2021-10-01. elperiodico. ca.
    139. Web site: Nogueras. Núria Orriols Guiu, Júlia Manresa. 2021-09-23. Carles Puigdemont, detingut a l'Alguer. 2021-10-01. Ara.cat. ca.
    140. Web site: Què hi anava a fer Puigdemont, a l'Alguer? Tota la informació. 2021-10-01. VilaWeb. ca.
    141. Web site: Llarena demana al Tribunal de Sardenya que lliuri Carles Puigdemont a Espanya. 2021-10-01. ElNacional.cat. 30 September 2021 . ca.
    142. Web site: Carles Puigdemont: Police hunt ex-Catalan separatist leader after return from exile . 2024-08-08 . www.bbc.com . en-GB.
    143. Web site: Ex-Catalan leader 'eludes police manhunt and flees Spain'. www.bbc.com. en-GB.
    144. News: Burgen . Stephen . 2024-08-08 . Catalan police hunt for Carles Puigdemont as separatist leader returns to Spain . 2024-08-08 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
    145. Web site: ¿Es Carles Puigdemont un político de izquierdas?. Muelas. Román de. 2019-03-25. elestado.net. es. 2020-01-14. 14 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200114143034/https://elestado.net/carles-puigdemont-politico-izquierdas/. live.
    146. News: Carles Puigdemont calls for Catalonia to leave EU. Keeley. Graham. 2017-11-27. The Times. 2020-01-14. 0140-0460. 14 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200114150208/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/puigdemont-calls-for-catalonia-to-leave-eu-zsfj96ph0. live.
    147. Web site: Puigdemont cree que Catalunya debería votar si quiere seguir en la UE. 26 November 2017. La Vanguardia. 6 February 2020. 15 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210315162645/https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20171126/433202110437/carles-puigdemont-catalunya-ue-mariano-rajoy.html. live.
    148. Web site: Puigdemont creu que els catalans han de votar si volen pertànyer a la Unió Europea. 26 November 2017. ara. 9 August 2020. 15 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210315162738/https://www.ara.cat/politica/puigdemont-catalans-haurien-pertanyer-ue_1_1270018.html. live.
    149. News: Puigdemont acusa a la justicia española de tener 'secuestrado' al eurodiputado Junqueras. Lluís. Pellicer. 20 December 2019. El País. es. 6 February 2020. 6 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200206194851/https://elpais.com/politica/2019/12/19/actualidad/1576780884_320743.html. live.
    150. Web site: Lamelas . Marcos . 2022-03-01 . Puigdemont evitó apoyar la ayuda financiera de la UE a Ucrania en el Parlamento Europeo . 2022-03-08 . elconfidencial.com . es.
    151. News: Analysis Why did Russian social media swarm the digital conversation about Catalan independence? . en-US . The Washington Post . 2022-03-08 . 0190-8286.
    152. Web site: Periódico . El . 2021-09-15 . El Parlamento Europeo pide investigar los contactos del entorno de Puigdemont con Rusia . 2022-03-08 . elperiodico . es.
    153. News: The former Catalan leader accuses Spain: Why recognize Palestine and not Kosovo . . 24 May 2024.
    154. News: Couzens. Gerard. Catalonia on brink of independence. 26 December 2017. Daily Express. 26 October 2017. London, UK. 22 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190622184458/https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/871341/Carles-Puigdemont-wife-Marcela-Topor-leaves-family-home-Catalonia-Catalan-indepedence. live.
    155. Web site: Willis . Craig . Hughes . Will . Bober . Sergiusz . ECMI Minorities Blog. National and Linguistic Minorities in the Context of Professional Football across Europe: Five Examples from Non-kin State Situations. . ECMI . 27 March 2023.
    156. News: Catalan crisis: Carles Puigdemont 'welcome' to run in poll. 26 December 2017. BBC News. 29 October 2017. London, UK. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107000015/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41791446. 7 November 2017. dmy-all.
    157. News: Orihuela. Rodrigo. Catalonia's President Says Jail Beats Staying Spanish. 26 December 2017. Bloomberg Businessweek. 10 October 2017. New York, US. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171228002534/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-10/catalonia-s-president-says-jail-beats-staying-spanish. 28 December 2017. dmy-all.
    158. Web site: Waterloo bevestigt verhuizing Puigdemont. 3 February 2018. 2 February 2018. HP De Tijd. nl. https://web.archive.org/web/20180202191400/https://www.hpdetijd.nl/nieuws/waterloo-bevestigt-verhuizing-puigdemont/. 2 February 2018. dead.
    159. Web site: UNPO: Catalonia: Ex-Premier Carles Puigdemont to Run for May 26th European Elections. unpo.org. 2019-03-14. 20 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190420115218/https://unpo.org/article/21410. live.

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