Carles Puigdemont will not return to Catalonia during the ongoing electoral campaign, according to statements made by his defense attorney, Gonzalo Boye, on Catalunya Ràdio. The legal team’s stance aligns with a timeline where the former regional president remains abroad until after the November 29 elections, countering what Boye characterized as the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party’s (PSOE) electoral preferences.
Legal Timeline and Dismissal Proceedings at the Supreme Court
The timeline surrounding Puigdemont’s potential homecoming coincides with procedural movements led by Supreme Court investigating judge Pablo Llarena. According to court sources cited by the Catalan News Agency (ACN), Llarena is preparing to propose the dismissal of the case against the exiled leaders within days. This anticipated judicial action follows the expiration of a mandatory five-day window granted to all involved parties to state their positions regarding the Constitutional Court’s recent endorsement and expansion of the amnesty law.
Once that period concludes, Llarena is expected to issue a ruling proposing the stay of proceedings. The matter will then move to the Supreme Court’s penal chamber, which holds the authority to decide on the definitive dismissal of the case. Similar reviews apply to convicted independence leaders facing charges of embezzlement, including Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Turull, Raül Romeva, and Dolors Bassa.
Defense Assessment on the Amnesty Implementation
Addressing the speed of these legal developments, Boye clarified that a definitive amnesty is not a matter of days but will likely take between one to three weeks to process through the chambers. The attorney noted that Puigdemont previously emphasized that his return must remain a decision driven by national interest rather than narrow party politics.
“What he is saying is that he will not return in the middle of the campaign,” Boye stated during the radio broadcast. When pressed on whether this sequence confirms a post-election return, the attorney added, “I understand that yes. Now, the return will be decided by the president.”
Unveiling the Return Plan Post-Campaign
Boye indicated that once the final legal hurdles clear and the case achieves formal closure, Puigdemont will hold a public appearance to detail his explicit plan for coming back to Catalonia. While specifics regarding the exact mechanism and timing of the arrival remain undisclosed, the defense maintains that the former president possesses a clear strategy that bypasses the active electoral window.
