Catalan speaker gets R2.5m bail, can’t campaign

Madrid – The Catalan parliament’s speaker was to be released from prison yesterday, but the terms she agreed to in exchange for being granted bail seem likely to prevent her from campaigning on a pro-independence ticket for regional elections next month.

Carme Forcadell appeared in the Supreme Court on Thursday to answer charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, after she enabled a declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament in late October that prompted the Spanish government to take control of the region.

She was released on bail of €150 000 (R2.5 million) after agreeing to renounce any political activity that went against the Spanish constitution, according to the court’s ruling.

Those terms threaten to further undermine a pro-secessionist movement in which cracks are starting to appear.

Court sources had on Thursday quoted her as saying the independence declaration had not been legally binding. Judge Pablo Llarena said the court could reconsider its ruling if it found evidence of her committing more offences – effectively banning her from campaigning for independence for the December 21 election.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the election following the independence declaration, and also dissolved the Catalan parliament and fired the administration of Catalan president Carles Puigdemont.

Forcadell at the time described Rajoy’s actions as a “coup” and an “attack against democracy”, while Puigdemont called the declaration a major step towards establishing an independent Catalan state.

The court said in statement it had received Forcadell’s bail payment and an official was en route to prison to release her.