Puigdemont returning to Catalonia 'is now more possible than before,' Junts party says

Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont could return to Catalonia in the near future, as the pro-independence Junts party said on Saturday morning. 

"We have set solid stones for the return of Puigdemont to be a reality. Today is now more possible than just a few days ago," Josep Rius, party spokesperson, said in an interview at Catalan public radio station Catalunya Ràdio. 

The possibility comes after Junts and the Spanish Socialists reached a deal on Thursday morning to back a prime ministerial bid led by acting Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez. The support of the Catalan pro-independence party to reelect Sánchez, however, was in exchange to some requests, such as a more specific amnesty law regarding all those judicial cases related to the independence push of the last decade. 

The Socialists had already negotiated an amnesty law with Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. However, Junts considered that the amnesty text signed with the other party was insufficient and demanded that the future law also include cases not directly related to the 2017 independence push, which they consider "lawfare.” 

The text, which is still not public but has prompted thousands to demonstrate against it in Madrid and in Barcelona during the last few days, as well as the European Commission asking for more detailed information, is expected to be put forward in Congress on Monday. 

This is not yet confirmed, but that is what Josep Rius believes. In this way, the debate on the prime ministerial bid by Pedro Sánchez would be held on Wednesday and Thursday. 

"For the first time, the deal with Junts allows to set on the table the possibility of organizing an agreed referendum with Spain," Rius added.  

The politician refers to a section of the agreement that reads: "Junts will propose organizing a self-determination referendum on Catalonia's future following Article 92 of the Spanish Constitution." 

The support throughout the term, however, is based on the "following and the fulfillment of the agreements of constant negotiations," as the deal reads, and the executive will be in power based on Sánchez's words.   

"If the Socialists do not comply, the deal will break," Rius said.