Pro-independence parties at odds over Puigdemont’s suspension

The pro-independence parties disagree on whether to accept the suspension of former president Carles Puigdemont as a member of the Catalan Parliament, as ordered by the Spanish court investigating Catalan politicians for last October’s referendum on independence.

Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that six MPs accused of rebellion must give up their seats  until they are tried. They have all been preemptively jailed, except for Puigdemont, who is in Germany pending a decision on his extradition to Spain.

Germany rejects rebellion

The German court of Schleswig-Holstein rejected handing over the Catalan leader for the crime of rebellion, but accepted the European Arrest Warrant for misuse of public funds. This poses a major dilemma for Spanish judge Pablo Llarena, as Puigdemont can only be tried for the crimes for which he is extradited.

Parliament lawyers proposed that MPs accused of rebellion should temporarily be substituted by party colleagues, but keep their right to vote through a delegate. Puigdemont’s Junts per Catalunya party says this measure must not apply to the former president, while their main pro-independence allies, Esquerra Republicana, say Puigdemont should not be an exception.

The parliament bureau met on Wednesday to decide how to apply the MPs suspension, but pro-independence parties—with a majority in the chamber—failed to reach an agreement. The disagreement prompted parliament speaker Roger Torrent to cancel a subsequent plenary session.