Catalonia’s former leader Carles Puigdemont had an international arrest warrant issued for him by a spanish judge on Friday, which was overturned during the weekend and allowed Puigdemont to walk free on Monday, when a Brussels court deemed he could stay at liberty in Belgium until it had heard in detail Spain’s allegations of rebellion against Puigdemont.
On Friday [11/3/17] a spanish judge issued an international arrest warrant for Catalonia’s former leader Carles Puigdemont. However, it was overturned over the weekend and Puigdemont was allowed to walk free on Monday when a Brussels court deemed he could stay at liberty in Belgium until it had heard in detail Spain’s allegations of rebellion against him.
The court’s decision means that Puigdemont, who left Spain last month after Madrid dissolved the Catalan Government, is free to aggressively campaign for independence for Catalonia by Dec 21.
The vote as of now is shaping up as a de facto independence referendum. Over the weekend, Puigdemont and another member of the secessionist party stated they might run on a combined ticket, but would need to make a decision on how to create any formal alliance, which at this time would include other parties as well before the deadline on Tuesday, Nov 7th.
Though this is not to say that alliances cannot also take shape after the election.
The push for independence has dragged Spain through its worst political crisis since its return to democracy nearly four decades ago and has severely divided the country, lighting up anti-Spanish sentiments in Catalonia and charging up nationalist tendencies elsewhere.
The ex-catalan president, as well as four of his ex-ministers, turned themselves into the Belgian police on Sunday [11/5/17] after Spain issued a European arrest warrant on charges of rebellion and alleged charges of public funds misuse.
As of now, all five members are not able to leave Belgium without a judge’s consent.
The next step in this situation is for the appearance of the five defendants before the Chambre du Conseil within the next 15 days.
Back home, Spain’s central government has taken control of Catalonia, which makes up a fifth of the national economy. Polls are pouring in with support for Puigdemont and his allies, eight of them to be exact who stayed behind in Spain are being detained on trumped up charges that Puigdemont has been slandered with.
The outcome for Catalonia and Puigdemont seem to be tied to one another and uncertain right now. With two months left in 2017 there is still plenty of time to see whether or not Catalonia will start 2018 off as a new nation, or one still under the heels of a fearful oppressed government.
Follow Catalonia’s fight for independence from the beginning (links below)…
Catalonia: The Rebel State
Catalonia: The Rebel State [Update | Part II]
Catalonia: Do Not Ignore Us [Update | Part III]
Catalonia: When Catalonia Wants Space And Spain Doesn’t Seem To “Get” It [Update | Part IV]
Catalonia: Birth of a Nation [Update | Part V]
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