Puigdemont, jailed PDeCAT pro-independence politicians, and ministers set to turn JxCat into party on July 25

Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, jailed PDeCat pro-independence politicians and some of Catalonia's current ministers are set to turn Junts per Catalunya (JxCat), currently an electoral alliance, into a political party on July 25.

Puigdemont announced his intention to create the party in a Tweet sent on Thursday evening, which was also shared by the jailed head of la Crida Jordi Sànchez, Catalan government ministers Meritxell Budó and Damià Calvet, as well as imprisoned PDeCat members: "We are committed to making Junts per Catalunya a cross-sectional, diverse and efficient tool at the service of the Catalan republic and people. We look forward to seeing you on the 25th."

Ens comprometem a fer de Junts per Catalunya una eina transversal, plural i eficaç al servei de la república catalana i de les persones. T’esperem el dia 25 per començar a caminar junts. #Jotambéhiseré pic.twitter.com/ut4SwT4B9t

— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) July 2, 2020

This date coincides with the "decisive" National Council of the Partit Demòcrata Europeu Català (PDeCAT) group, which will be held on 25-26 July, to reorganize the entity and means that the group headed by Puigdemont will not wait for an agreement to be reached with David Bonvehí’s PDeCAT, with whom negotiations had been ongoing for weeks.

In December 2019, 85% of PDeCAT’s National Council members voted in favor of joining Junts per Catalunya under Puidemont's leadership.

PDeCAT is the successor to Catalonia’s historic center-right CDC party that ruled Catalonia for over 20 years under the presidency of Jordi Pujol, and had previously announced its intentions to become a part of pro-independence JxCat some days before that National Council vote.