Carles Puigdemont interview revisited eight years later

A journalist reflects on a significant interview conducted with Carles Puigdemont in Brussels in February 2018. At the time, Spain was navigating the aftermath of the Catalan independence referendum, including the application of Article 155 and the imprisonment of several independence leaders.

The interview was notable for being the first granted by Puigdemont in Brussels to a journalist from a non-Catalan Spanish media outlet. Published by Diario16, the conversation was characterized by a lack of pre-agreed questions or editorial constraints, allowing for a direct dialogue during a period of extreme political polarization and judicial uncertainty.