Puigdemont's return is once again looming over Junts. What will he do when he can return?
BarcelonaJust this week The Supreme Court was hearing former President Carles Puigdemont's appeal against the decision not to implement the amnesty law. Although the high court has yet to rule on this appeal, and the Constitutional Court must rule on the amnesty law's compliance with the Constitution, the former president's definitive return is already looming over Junts. And the most optimistic even speak of a return in the first half of this year after smoothing over ties with the PSOE. Despite the ball being in the judges' court, Puigdemont's party has always believed the Socialists could do more to speed up the schedule.
Beyond the impact the end of exile will have on Catalan politics, Puigdemont's return will also mark a turning point for Junts. It will be their major political turning point, as since its inception, the party has only coexisted with the former president in exile. While the idea is to build a political alternative to Salvador Illa—Junts doesn't foresee Puigdemont going home—the determining factor is what direction he takes to achieve this.
To start with, most sources are talking about embarking on a tour of the country. This idea seems widely shared within the party, but beyond that, will he assume the role of leader of the opposition in Parliament? Will he act as a deputy to battle Isla in the Chamber? Or will he step down to devote himself solely to wandering around Catalonia? There's no firm decision, since he's not even sure when he'll be able to return, but most sources consulted say Puigdemont is leaning toward the latter option. It doesn't seem like his idea is to sit in the opposition leader's chair after having been president and after seven years of exile. The other question on the table is, with what discourse, since Catalan politics bears no resemblance to that of 2017. What approach does the former president want to take up again? With that of "continuing where he left off"? Or with a discourse of management and gaining self-government? The answer seems clear given the results of the last Catalan elections, in which the independence movement lost its majority.
The calendar
Puigdemont's defense team remains cautious when assessing the timeline for his return. However, there are two windows of opportunity for the former president, both of which could be in 2025. The first option is that he might try to return before the Constitutional Court rules on whether or not he supports his appeal for protection—which he has not yet been able to file due to delays at the Supreme Court. This theory suggests that he could do so when the Constitutional Court upholds the amnesty law and overturns the appeal of unconstitutionality filed by the People's Party (PP)—if, as everything indicates, it ends up doing so. In this way, the "immediate" lifting of the precautionary measures would be endorsed, and therefore, Puigdemont could argue for avoiding prison upon his return to Catalonia. However, the most conservative theory holds that this would not neutralize the Supreme Court either, which has not only delayed the application of the amnesty by going to Europe or the Constitutional Court, but has directly decided that Puigdemont's case is not suitable because he is accused of embezzlement.
In fact, no matter how long Puigdemont waits for the resolution of his own appeal for protection, the final say will always be with the Supreme Court. It will be the high court that, with the Constitutional Court's ruling in hand, will decide how to apply it in the former president's case. Will it dare to twist the doctrine of embezzlement even further to ignore it? That would truly take the clash of powers in the State to the extreme limit.
Harmony between political leaders is also measured by whether they discuss anything beyond the official agenda. During Thursday's round of contacts to address Spain's rearmament, Pedro Sánchez and Gabriel Rufián had time to discuss the other major topic of the day for football fans: Atlético de Madrid's elimination by Real Madrid from the Champions League. It was not reported whether he spoke with Feijóo.
Parliamentary Vice President Raquel Sans was in New York this week for an annual UN conference on women's rights. In her absence and that of the other vice president, David Pérez, who is on sick leave, the Speaker of the House, Josep Rull, found himself without a substitute in the plenary session if he had to leave for a few minutes during the sessions, which lasted more than three hours. He had to call a recess twice. "I thank you for your indulgence," he told the parliamentarians.