Puigdemont, a member of the European parliament, has lived in Brussels for the past six years after fleeing Spain to avoid arrest over his role in the failed unilateral bid for regional independence in October 2017. While he is still sought by Spanish courts he now also finds himself playing kingmaker as Spain's acting prime minister, the Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, tries to win support for a new coalition government.
The conservative People's party (PP) won the largest number of seats in the election but Sánchez and his allies are far better placed to form a government - especially if they can win the backing of the seven MPs in Puigdemont's centre-right Junts party. If neither the left nor right bloc can put together a government, voters will head to the polls again in January for Spain's sixth general election in nine years.
Speaking in Brussels yesterday, the former regional president made clear his party's support for a new Sánchez administration would depend on "the complete abandonment of judicial proceedings" he and others faced over their role in the push to secede from Spain. "This is what we want, that the Spanish government creates amnesty legislation. This is the responsibility of our incoming government and our prosecutors."
Denne historien er fra September 06, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra September 06, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Closing borders Electoral pressures put EU's freedom of movement under threat
In 2015, when more than 1.3 million people headed to Europe, mostly fleeing a brutal war in Syria, the response of Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, was to say: \"Wir schaffen das\" (\"We can manage this\"), and open the country's borders.
Fight does not end here, say critics, as Wimbledon wins the go-ahead to expand
Wimbledon's controversial plans to build 39 new tennis courts have been given the green light after a deputy mayor of London ruled that the \"very significant benefits\" of the scheme outweighed any potential harm to the environment.
Sue Gray Advisers to the PM are often targets of sniping but is it sustainable?
For someone who was not even in Liverpool for the Labour party conference, Sue Gray was the subject of a remarkable amount of conversation.
Revealed Alli gave PM a further £16,000 gift of clothing
Keir Starmer was given a further £16,000 worth of clothes by the Labour peer Waheed Alli, which was declared as money for his private office, the Guardian can reveal.
Tributes paid to 'one of a kind' in seven decades on stage and screen
Maggie Smith, the prolific, awardwinning actor described by peers as being \"one of a kind\" and possessed of a \"sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent\", has died aged 89.
Diplomacy Netanyahu insists Israel is winning on 'seven fronts'
Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, shrugged off global appeals for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza yesterday, using a defiant speech at the UN general assembly to denounce the world body as an \"antisemitic swamp\" and insist Israel is \"winning\" its multi-front wars.
Van Gogh's Sunflowers in new protest as climate activists jailed
Climate activists threw tomato soup over two Sunflowers paintings by Vincent van Gogh yesterday, just an hour after two others were jailed for almost the same protest action in 2022.
Met Office issues wind warning after rains bring flooding
The Met Office has issued a warning for strong winds tomorrow as parts of the country were still recovering from heavy rain and flooding yesterday.
Blind contestant's Strictly cha-cha-cha inspires visually impaired to get on dancefloor
It may be early days, but Strictly Come Dancing's breakout star so far this season is also the show's first blind contestant, Chris McCausland.
Labour's non-dom policy has 'basic errors' copied from Tories, say Whitehall sources
Labour's flagship \"non-dom\" policy was largely copied and pasted from the Conservatives even though it contains \"basic errors\" and risks damaging the UK's financial sector, Whitehall sources have told the Guardian.
