Carles Puigdemont will only have the possibility of being pardoned if he returns to Spain and is judged. This has been assured by the Minister of Justice, Juan Carlos Campo, who has stated that the Spanish government "does not consider in any case" an early pardon of the Catalan ex -President exiled in Belgium. Campo has admitted that this formula is possible, despite the fact that essentially the pardon requires that there is a firm conviction. There is, however, an exception.

Pedro Sánchez decided not to extend the state of alarm in good measure due to the proximity of elections in Madrid. He did not want the issue to capitalise headlines in the lead up to the vote. The measure would be lifted and that was that. But not even this managed to avoid the PSOE's electoral thrashing last Tuesday, with the loss of more than a third of its votes and being overtaken by Más País. Since then the government has tried to look the other way and not get mired in the judicial chaos arising from the lack of a legal framework for health restrictions.