Amnesty hailed as shared political win
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has described the application of the Catalan amnesty law as "a victory for all" following its full endorsement by Spain's Constitutional Court. Speaking during Wednesday's parliamentary session in Barcelona, Illa stressed that political normalisation in Catalonia belongs to everyone, urging "a little humility and remembrance of where we come from". His remarks came in response to Mònica Sales, parliamentary leader of Junts, who declared the ruling a "great victory for independence". She highlighted the return of exiled figures like former president Carles Puigdemont, stating: "They left free and will return free, heads held high."
Clash over credit and political meaning
"The normalisation of political life in Catalonia is a victory for coexistence, for all of us,"
, Salvador Illa, President of the Generalitat
Sales challenged Illa on his earlier opposition to the amnesty, quoting him as saying in 2023: "No amnesty, nothing like that." She accused his party of shifting stance only when they needed Junts’ seven votes in parliament. Illa did not dispute the timeline but reframed the outcome as a collective achievement beyond partisan claims. David Cid, spokesperson for Comuns (Catalunya en Comú), echoed Illa’s sentiment, calling the court decision "a victory for all Catalans and for all of Catalonia." He added that the Constitutional Court’s validation marks "a new defeat for the strategy of PP and Vox to keep Catalonia in perpetual conflict." Cid further stated that the Supreme Court "could not remain the wooden arm of PP and Vox," referring to prior resistance from conservative judicial sectors.
Amnesty not an end, but a political recognition
Josep Maria Jové, parliamentary group leader for ERC, acknowledged the amnesty as a significant step but insisted it is not a final resolution. Speaking during the general policy debate last week, he said the measure is not a pardon because "no crime was committed," nor does it close the political conflict, which remains "very much alive." However, he welcomed it as official recognition that the dispute must be resolved politically, not judicially. He urged Illa to clarify how his government plans to advance this path forward. In reply, Illa reaffirmed that while the PSC opposes a self-determination referendum, it respects ERC’s right to advocate for it. He called for a progressive coalition after the next Spanish elections to advance federal reform, without detailing a specific roadmap for resolving the broader constitutional question. The Constitutional Court’s ruling, published Tuesday 6 October 2026, confirmed the amnesty law’s constitutionality and cleared the way for Puigdemont’s return. The Supreme Court responded immediately by lifting his arrest warrant within Spain.
Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by Newsroom Infobae, elpais.com, europapress.es, infobae.com, ultimahora.es, esquerra.cat, Diari de Girona, elmundo.es, elperiodico.com, ara.cat, elnacional.cat, g.tejedor, Martí Odriozola i Marcé, cronicaglobal.cat, Catalan News, Departament d'Edicions del Parlament de Catalunya, Parlament de Catalunya, Racó Català.
