Puigdemont, the former president who trusts in a last carom after losing to Illa

Carles Puigdemont (Amer, 1962) knows like no one else that life in general, and politics in particular, can take many turns. She is used to them and, despite having been far from the socialist Salvador Illa in this Sunday’s elections, she will try one last move to regain the presidency of the Generalitat: her 7 seats in Congress in exchange for the PSC making way for her .

The first was when he was 22 years old, when one foggy night he crashed into a trailer. The accident not only changed her appearance, leaving some scars on her face, but also her life. Then he studied Catalan philology and worked part-time as a proofreader at ‘El Punt’. After four months off work, he needed money to buy a new car and left school to be a full-time journalist.

A profession that he practiced until his entry into active politics in 2006. Becoming editor-in-chief of the newspaper and founder of the ACN, another carom placed him on the CiU lists for the Paralament to later make the leap to the mayor of Girona. He got the rod in 2011, after four years working in the opposition.

The call of Mas

But the most obvious blow came when he was just 53 years old, when he received a call from Arthur Mas to propose to him to be president of the Generalitat. He had very little time to say yes. Just 15 minutes, in which he called his close friend and main squire during the six years in Belgium, jami matamala, so that she could stay with her daughters.

Nor did he have much more margin now, when Pere Aragonès decided to anticipate the elections. His initial plan was to run again for the European Parliament, but after six and a half years away from home due to his judicial situation and with the amnesty law on the verge of candy, he saw an opening to try one last carom.

Married to journalist Marcela Tupor, with whom he has two teenage daughters, Puigdemont presented these elections as a poker game. Either be restored as president of the Generalitat or retire and finally have a quiet life. Of course, in Catalonia. A kind of win-win, although in his head there has only been one speech, that of his investiture as president. And this is that he was already a candidate in 2017 and 2021 – although the effective candidate was Laura Borràs – and victory also eluded him.

The fifth Beatle

Puigdemont has never been a typical politician. When Mas pointed him out he was little known outside the city, but in the investiture debate he already imbued character. Both because of his agility and because of his appearance. A half hair in Beatles stylewhich she wore with pride despite having always been disapproved of by her grandmother, and which hid her passion for music and her past as bassist for the group Zènit, which she created with her friends.

His 18 months at the head of the Generalitat were turbulent, but his end was even more so. The October 1 referendum has a special place in its inventory. Not so much the days after. He has made self-criticism of them these years outside of Spain, in which he has not been able to say goodbye to either his father, who died in 2019, or his mother, who transferred this campaign.

During this time Belgium also adopted a gato called Inside. Already rhythm of ‘No Surrender’motto taken from a song by Bruce Springstee who has made a fortune among the Puigdemontistas, has been fighting judicial battles. Not all of them have been accompanied by the popcorn of his lawyer Gonzalo Boye, but despite having been imprisoned twice, he has avoided returning in handcuffs.

From his position as an MEP, he moved away from the day-to-day life of the party, until he left all organic positions. Although never lost the role of ‘de facto’ leader. And this was demonstrated in the consultation on the breakup of the Government, where he had a decisive role despite the fact that, publicly, he limited himself to making a retweet.

The carambola of 23J

However, something changed after the last general elections, when another carom left the governance of Spain in the hands of Junts. Puigdemont once again took the reins and devoted himself completely to the negotiation with the PSOE, despite having dedicated the last few years to disdaining the ERC dialogue path.

A turn by Junts in which the electorate and a good part of his party would hardly have accompanied him if it had not gone hand in hand with the epic and aura of Puigdemont.

The same epic and aura that the son of the Amer pastry chefs has played to once again lead the independence bloc. Finally, he is far from beating the socialist Salvador Illa, but He is not willing to throw in the towel and will try one last carom. Being president in exchange for the PSC facilitating his investiture so that Sánchez remains in Moncloa. However it turns out, he still has to write.

2024-05-13 00:43:41
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