Madrid to keep Catalonia reins if Puigdemont seeks remote rule

Written by Mark Christofer Manalo on

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Catalonia’s ousted regional president Carles Puigdemont (C), flanked by Catalonia’s former Councillor of Education of the Generalitat Clara Ponsati and ‘Junts per Catalonia’ – JUNTSXCAT (All for Catalonia) separatist party’s spokeperson Eduard Pujol i Bonell (R), walks as he holds his first post-election meeting for members of his parliamentary group in Brussels on January 12, 2018.
Spain’s government will go to the country’s Constitutional Court if Catalonia’s former president Carles Puigdemont, in exile in Belgium, attempts to be re-elected into office from abroad, a government source said on January 11. Catalonia’s separatist parties on December 21 retained their parliamentary majority with 70 seats in the 135-seat Catalan parliament, but eight belong to politicians who are either in jail or have fled to Belgium, after Madrid sacked the Catalan regional government following the October 1 referendum and the unilateral declaration of independence. / AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYS

MADRID, Spain (AFP) –Spain warned Monday that Madrid would maintain its unpopular direct control over Catalonia if ousted regional leader Carles Puigdemont tries to govern again from exile in Belgium.

Speaking to party members in Madrid, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Puigdemont had “to be physically present” in Catalonia to take office.

And if that did not happen, he warned, the central government would maintain the direct rule imposed after Catalan leaders declared independence in October.

Puigdemont is the separatist camp’s favoured candidate to lead Catalonia again after pro-independence parties won an absolute majority in regional elections on December 21.

But he is in self-imposed exile in Belgium and if he returns, he risks arrest on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds for his role in the region’s failed independence bid.

On Twitter, Puigdemont responded by pointing out to Rajoy that his conservative Popular Party had only “secured four lawmakers on December 21 and continues to govern Catalonia from Madrid”.

By contrast, Puigdemont’s Together for Catalonia list won 34 seats in the best result for a separatist grouping, with anti-independence party Ciudadanos taking 36.

Ciudadanos, however, does not have enough allies to get a majority while Together for Catalonia will likely join forces with the leftwing ERC, which got 32 seats, and the smaller CUP party, which took four, to get an absolute majority.

Remote control? Unlikely

To be elected regional president, Puigdemont should in theory be present at the parliamentary session where the vote takes place, but he wants to appear by videolink or write a speech and have it read by someone else.

If that is allowed, he could then officially take office from Belgium and try to govern the region remotely.

But legal experts doubt this would be feasible, and even Puigdemont’s allies — the leftwing ERC of his former vice-president Oriol Junqueras — are scratching their heads.

ERC spokesman Sergi Sabria said Monday the parties were looking into all possible ways to have Puigdemont sworn in without the move being branded illegal by the courts.

“There are doubts inside the separatist camp,” Xavier Arbos, a constitutional law professor at the University of Barcelona, told AFP.

Under the circumstances Puigdemont’s nomination is bound to be “challenged in court, and if it is challenged, it will be suspended” by the constitutional court, Arbos said.

This in turn could spark further suspensions and penalties, according to the expert.

Madrid’s direct rule has proven very unpopular in a region that had enjoyed considerable autonomy before its leaders attempted to break away from Spain.

In retaliation, Rajoy seized control, sacked Catalonia’s government, dissolved its parliament and called snap elections in December.

On Wednesday, the Catalan parliament holds its first session, and it has until January 31 to have a debate on choosing a regional president.