Lluís Puig returns to Parliament nine years later

BarcelonaThe day after his return from exile with an emotional act in Terrassa, the former Minister of Culture during the 1-O, Lluís Puig, returned this Thursday to the Parliament. And to celebrate his return nine years later, he was given an honorary reception by the president of the Catalan chamber, Josep Rull, the rest of the board, and numerous deputies. The first thing he did before entering the Parliament Palace was to embrace precisely Rull, who suffered the repression against the independence movement as a political prisoner.

A strong, unanimous round of applause was the chamber's welcome as Puig climbed the grand staircase and once at the top. Among the longest embraces were those of former minister Carles Mundó, former minister Meritxell Borràs, the leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, as well as the entire parliamentary group of Junts. CUP deputies like Dani Cornellà also did not want to miss the occasion. Present were the groups of Junts, ERC, CUP, the Comuns, and Aliança Catalana, in addition to the PSC, which received him through the bureau, which led the solemn occasion. Former president Artur Mas and former president of the Parliament Laura Borràs also wanted to be there, as well as the president of Òmnium, Xavier Antich.

Once the audience with the bureau had finished, it was the turn of the plenary session. Rull welcomed him and Puig delivered a speech in which he declared himself "convincedly pro-independence," amidst loud applause from the pro-sovereignty groups. In contrast, Vox entered the hemicycle after Puig had finished speaking.