Spanish court says Puigdemont must return to be re-elected

BARCELONA — Spain’s top court said Saturday that Catalonia’s fugitive ex-president must return to the country and be present in the regional parliament to receive the authority to form a new government.

The constitutional Court ruled that a session of Catalonia’s parliament scheduled for Tuesday would be suspended if former leader Carles Puigdemont tries to be re-elected without being physically present in the chamber.

Catalonia’s separatist lawmakers have been considering voting Puigdemont back in as regional chief without him returning from Belgium, weighing options that included another parliament member standing in for him or using video.

The separatist leader fled Spain after the regional parliament made an unsuccessful declaration of independence on Oct. 27 in violation of Spain’s Constitution. He is wanted in Spain on possible rebellion and sedition charges and is likely to be arrested if he returns.

The court, in a unanimous decision, said that the investiture of Puigdemont would be suspended without the previous authorization of a judge, “even if he is physically in the chamber.”

The court also ruled that neither Puigdemont nor the four other former members of his Cabinet who also fled to Belgium could delegate their vote for Tuesday’s session in another candidate.

Saturday’s decisions by the court came in response to a request filed by the central government led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to suspend the investiture session as long as Puigdemont was the candidate.

The court said it would need more time to study whether there were grounds to suspend the session.