Carles Puigdemont prepares his return to Spain after nine years in Waterloo (Belgium), but he has still not announced a specific date or detailed how his return will be organized.
The president of the Parliament, Josep Rull, has, for his part, expressed his willingness to receive the former President of the Generalitat institutionally. These are the main keys and questions about a return that still has several aspects pending to be specified.
Has Puigdemont confirmed that he is preparing his return?
Yes. The former President of the Generalitat acknowledged that he had begun to prepare his return. The existence of those preparations was also confirmed by his lawyer, Gonzalo Boye. He explained that Puigdemont had a plan to return, but avoided revealing when it would take place.
When will Puigdemont return to Spain?
For the moment, no officially confirmed date exists, although ABC points to December 12 as a possible day. What is confirmed is that he will not do so during the election campaign, as he himself has assured.
What role will the Parliament of Catalonia play?
Josep Rull has publicly expressed his intention that Puigdemont and Lluís Puig receive an institutional welcome when they return. The president of the Catalan chamber said on October 15 that both would have a “proper and solemn” reception in the Parliament. The information published by ABC indicates that the chamber will host the main acts of Puigdemont’s return on December 12.
How long has Puigdemont been out of Spain?
Puigdemont left Spain in October 2017, after the declaration of independence approved by the Parliament of Catalonia. Since then, he has resided in Belgium, initially in Brussels and later in Waterloo, from where he has maintained his political activity and his ties to Junts.
What remains to be known about Puigdemont’s return to Spain?
The main unknowns remain the definitive date, the legal conditions under which the return will take place, and the program of institutional events that might be organized in Catalonia.