Catalan leaders get temporary EU lawmaker status

OVIEDO, Spain

Carles Puigdemont, a fugitive Catalan leader, was granted provisional accreditation as a member of the European Parliament on Friday in a legal victory for separatist politics in Spain.

Although Puigdemont was elected as an MEP in May 2019, he was blocked from taking his seat because he did not swear an oath in the Madrid Parliament on the constitution of Spain. If he were to return to Spain to do so, he would have been immediately arrested.

Puigdemont, a former president of the region, is charged with sedition and rebellion by the Spanish Supreme Court. Other members of his government have been sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for their role in the separatist push.

However, on Thursday the European Court of Justice ruled that Oriol Junqueras, Puigdemont’s Vice President, should have received immunity because he was elected as an MEP.

This ruling opened the door to Puigdemont and another member of his former cabinet, Antoni Comin, who had also fled Spain before being arrested, to take their seats as MEPs.

The EU Court of Justice announced that their case would be re-examined by the General Court.

The accreditation is only valid for one day but gives the politicians enough time to do all the paperwork that could allow them to get permanent accreditation before the European Parliament is back in session in the new year.

“European justice says that we’ve been MEPs since last July. You have to follow the law,” Puigdemont told reporters as he entered the Parliament in Brussels on a symbolic visit.

Whether this means Puigdemont and Comin also have immunity is unclear. Spanish daily El Pais reports that their lawyer has advised the politicians to be prudent and not return to Spain for now.

It is expected Spain's next move will be a request to the European Parliament to remove the immunity of the Catalan leaders.