Nine years after the illegal referendum of 1-O, the leaders of the procés are on disparate paths: Puigdemont in Belgium, Junqueras and Turull awaiting the amnesty for embezzlement. The Constitutional Court must set a precedent.
The 1st of October 2017 marked a turning point in Catalan politics. Nine years later, many of the leaders who pushed for the illegal referendum and the unilateral declaration of independence have seen their trajectories diverge: some remain at the forefront, others have left politics, and several are waiting for the courts to definitively apply the Amnesty Law. According to eldebate.com, the Constitutional Court has opened the door for the measure to cover the embezzlement for which some of the main responsible parties were convicted, although the definitive application has not yet occurred.
The former president of the Generalitat Carles Puigdemont was never tried or convicted because he left Spain before being prosecuted. He resides in Belgium, in Waterloo, where he continues his political activity as president of Junts. The Supreme Court attributes crimes related to the organisation of the independence process to him and maintains a national arrest warrant for embezzlement. In September, Judge Pablo Llarena again rejected the application of amnesty for that crime, a decision that is contingent upon the doctrine established by the Constitutional Court.
The former vice president of the Govern Oriol Junqueras received the highest sentence: 13 years in prison and 13 years of absolute disqualification for sedition and embezzlement. In 2021, he received a pardon from the Government, allowing him to leave prison, although he remained disqualified. The reform of the Penal Code later eliminated the crime of sedition, but the conviction for embezzlement continued to have effects. Junqueras regained the presidency of ERC and participates in Catalan politics and negotiations with the Government. He remains disqualified and is calling for amnesty to recover his political rights and be able to run in the upcoming regional elections.
The former Minister of the Presidency Jordi Turull was sentenced to 12 years in prison and 12 years of disqualification for sedition and embezzlement. He was also pardoned in 2021 and regained his freedom, but remained disqualified. He now holds the General Secretariat of Junts. His appeal to the Constitutional Court is at the origin of the new doctrine regarding the amnesty for embezzlement: the Plenary did not approve on 22nd September the report that rejected his protection and is preparing a new resolution.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs Raül Romeva was also sentenced to 12 years in prison for sedition and embezzlement and received a pardon in 2021. The amnesty has not yet been definitively applied to his conviction for embezzlement, and his appeal is still pending the constitutional doctrine. After leaving prison, he has maintained his ties with ERC and the independence movement, although with a lower political profile than in 2017.
The former Minister of Labour Dolors Bassa was sentenced to 12 years for the same crimes. Her situation is similar to that of Romeva: pardoned in 2021, she is waiting for the amnesty to be applied to embezzlement. The Constitutional Court must now decide whether the measure covers this crime, a question that directly affects the convicted individuals and their political rights.
Meanwhile, Catalan politics continues to be conditioned by these cases. Puigdemont maintains his influence from Belgium, and Junqueras and Turull continue to lead their parties. The application of the amnesty for embezzlement could allow Junqueras to regain eligibility and be a candidate for ERC in the upcoming regional elections. The Constitutional Court's decision is expected in the coming weeks or months and will mark the immediate future of the leaders of the procés.
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