Puigdemont’s reelection postponed: where are we now?

What happened today at the Catalan Parliament?

The head of the Catalan Parliament postponed a session to reinstate Carles Puigdemont as president on Tuesday, thus temporarily putting a major political clash between pro-independence parties and Spanish institutions on hold. Roger Torrent, the chamber’s president, defied Madrid by insisting that Puigdemont remained the only candidate for president, but he adjourned his reelection until there are “guarantees” that it will be “effective”—that is, until the Constitutional Court decides whether to accept the Spanish government’s petition to ban Puigdemont’s candidacy or not.

What was Carles Puigdemont's response?

One of the big questions on Tuesday was whether Puigdemont would appear in Catalonia and be invested in person, or whether he would be sworn in from Belgium. At the end of the day, it became apparent that his plan was to retake his post at a distance.

In a video message published on Tuesday evening, Puigdemont disagreed with Torrent's decision, and said that the majority of pro-independence MPs in the chamber as a result of the December election is "the best democratic guarantee." Still, he stressed the importance of respecting the will of the Parliament president.

Last October, Puigdemont traveled to Brussels after being dismissed by the Spanish government following a declaration of independence. Although he is free to move around Europe, he faces criminal charges in Spain for his role in the push for independence. If he sets foot in the country, he will be arrested. 

How did parties react to Torrent’s announcement?

On a day of great uncertainty, Torrent’s move came as the upteempth plot twist in Catalonia’s independence bid. His own party, Esquerra Republicana, welcomed the decision. But their political allies were not so pleased. Puigdemont’s Together for Catalonia ticket complained about not being informed of Torrent’s intentions beforehand, and urged him to go ahead with the investiture debate on the same day. Meanwhile, the far-left CUP labeled the decision “submission to the state.”