Amnesty Progress Paves Way for Exiles’ Return
Today, on the ninth anniversary of the 1 October 2017 independence referendum, Catalan Parliament president Josep Rull stated that the return of exiled former president Carles Puigdemont and ex-minister Lluís Puig is likely within days. Speaking from the parliamentary audience office, Rull cited recent judicial developments confirming the applicability of Spain’s amnesty law to the charge of malversación (misuse of public funds), which has blocked their return. The amnesty law, passed by the Spanish Congress and validated in relevant aspects by European institutions, has not yet been fully applied to Puigdemont and Puig due to ongoing legal challenges concerning this charge. However, a shift at the Constitutional Court has accelerated prospects. On 22 September 2026, a majority of seven out of twelve justices rejected a proposal by rapporteur judge José María Macías to uphold the Supreme Court’s exclusion of malversación from amnesty, according to reporting by La Voz de Galicia based on court proceedings.
Court Decision Due 6 October
The Constitutional Court will reconvene its plenary session on 6 October 2026 to draft a final ruling in the case of Jordi Turull, a former Catalan minister whose appeal raised the constitutional question. If the current majority holds, the Court will rule that malversación charges related to the independence process are covered by the amnesty, effectively removing the legal basis for arrest warrants.
We are aware we are close," said Rull, adding that he hopes this will be the last 1 October without Puigdemont and Puig occupying their parliamentary seats.
Rull also criticised what he described as a "judicial blockade" delaying the full implementation of the amnesty, noting it affects not only Puigdemont and Puig but also ERC leader Josep Maria Jové, who still faces open cases, and barred candidates like Oriol Junqueras.
Call to Resume Political Debate
With the amnesty nearing full application, Rull urged political forces to reopen discussion on Catalonia’s future. "We will have to talk again in depth and with consequences," he said, stressing that while amnesty resolves legal issues, it does not settle the underlying political demand for self-determination. He also lamented the absence of state apology for police violence during the 2017 referendum crackdown, referencing the emotional toll on exiles such as Puigdemont, who was unable to attend his parents’ funerals while in Belgium. This year’s commemoration at the Parliament proceeded without Socialist members of the Bureau, David Pérez, Maria Rosa Ibarra, and Judith Alcalá, continuing a pattern observed in 2024 and 2025.
Reported by elperiodico.cat, TRIBUNAL CONSTITUCIONAL, Melchor Sáiz-Pardo, EL PAÍS Exprés, elconstitucional.es, parlament.cat, Ch14, El Periódico (CA).
