Puigdemont Welcomes Spanish Amnesty but Says It Is Not the Answer to Catalonia's Aspirations

Catalan independence leader Carles Puigdemont has welcomed a decision by Spain's Supreme Court to lift the arrest warrant against him, while cautioning that the move does not amount to a resolution of Catalonia's broader political aspirations, according to Euronews.

Puigdemont made the comments from Waterloo, Belgium, where he has lived in self-imposed exile for nine years after fleeing Spain amid legal proceedings tied to the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, known as the "procés." The Supreme Court's decision lifted the detention order that had been in place over an alleged embezzlement offense linked to that process.

While celebrating the court's action as a personal and political milestone, Puigdemont said the amnesty "is not the solution" to Catalonia's underlying aspirations for greater autonomy or independence from Spain, suggesting the broader political dispute between Catalan nationalists and the Spanish state remains unresolved.

The amnesty forms part of a broader political arrangement tied to Spain's national government, which has faced a complex parliamentary landscape requiring support from Catalan pro-independence parties. The move has been contentious within Spanish politics, with critics arguing it improperly shields politicians from accountability, while supporters frame it as a necessary step toward political reconciliation.

It remains unclear whether Puigdemont intends to return to Spain following the lifting of the warrant.