Leader takes secessionist bid to Europe
BRUSSELS — Facing possible criminal charges at home that could put him behind bars for decades, ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont took his bid for independence from Spain to the heart of Europe on Tuesday, attempting to portray his secessionist movement as persecuted underdogs who deserve international backing in their fight against Madrid.
A Spanish judge, meanwhile, ordered Puigdemont and the rest of his ousted Cabinet to appear for questioning later this week as part of a rebellion probe. Whether they appear or not, the judge is likely to decide as soon as Friday on whether to issue arrest warrants.
In a high-profile appearance before international media in the Belgian capital, Puigdemont kept up his defiant tone against the Spanish government’s relentless efforts to thwart his secession ambitions. His unannounced trip underscored that his path to success is being blocked by the law in Spain, and he conceded ground to the Spanish government, agreeing to take part in an early regional election called for Dec. 21.
Even as Puigdemont’s quest to establish a new Western European country appeared increasingly quixotic, his grass roots supporters showed no signs of wavering — a depth of passion that illustrates why the wrangling over Catalonia has been going on for so long and why it is unlikely to end soon.
Puigdemont said he and the five ousted government colleagues who accompanied him to Brussels were seeking “freedom and safety” from the Spanish authorities.
If Spain “can guarantee to all of us, and to me in particular, a just, independent (legal) process, with separation of powers that we have in the majority of European nations — if they guarantee that, we would return immediately,” Puigdemont told a packed news conference at the Brussels Press Club, which is right next to the European Union’s headquarters.
“But we have to continue to work, and that is why we decided Friday night on this strategy,” he said.
The Spanish government in Madrid has cracked down hard on Puigdemont’s attempt to take Catalonia, a wealthy region of some 7.5 million people that accounts for about one-fifth of the national GDP, out of Spain.
Spain’s chief prosecutor is seeking charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement against Puigdemont, and his No. 2, Oriol Junqueras.