Carles Puigdemont marks two years since brief Catalonia return

Carles Puigdemont Catalan amnesty law Salvador Illa Spanish Supreme Court Junts

On the second anniversary of Carles Puigdemont's brief return to Catalonia in August 2024, the Junts leader has released previously unseen photographs to defend the political nature of his visit. The images depict his arrival at the Jonquera border alongside Jordi Turull, intended to counter claims that he arrived in disguise or hidden in a vehicle trunk.

Puigdemont used the occasion to renew his criticism of the Spanish Supreme Court, accusing it of "rebellion" for its refusal to apply the amnesty law. He emphasized that the amnesty law has received support from both the Spanish Constitutional Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

The anniversary also triggered political clashes between independence leaders and government representatives. Gabriel Rufián of ERC criticized the Junts maneuver as "making a fool" of themselves and causing frustration by involving the Mossos d'Esquadra in a failed security operation. Conversely, Jordi Turull argued the event highlighted the "weaknesses of the State."

Separately, the milestone marks two years since Salvador Illa was invested as President of the Generalitat. While the PSC administration claims to have established stability and economic leadership, opposition leaders from Junts have criticized the administration's management of public services and infrastructure.

Entities

Carles Puigdemont · Catalonia · ERC · Gabriel Rufián · Generalitat de Catalunya · Jordi Turull · Junts · Salvador Illa · Spanish Supreme Court · Supreme Court of Spain · Tribunal Supremo

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 4 SOURCES] Carles Puigdemont criticized the Spanish Supreme Court for its refusal to apply the amnesty law. www.deia.eus · www.elperiodicoextremadura.com · www.laopinioncoruna.es · www.eldiario.es
[● 5 SOURCES] Puigdemont released previously unseen photographs of his August 2024 arrival in Catalonia. www.deia.eus · www.moncloa.com · www.eldiario.es · www.3cat.cat
[● 3 SOURCES] ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián accused Junts of making a fool of themselves during Puigdemont's return. www.elliberal.cat · www.moncloa.com · www.elindependiente.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Jordi Turull stated that Puigdemont's visit exposed the weaknesses of the Spanish State. www.elliberal.cat · www.elindependiente.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Salvador Illa was invested as President of the Generalitat during the events of August 2024. www.elmundo.es · www.esdiario.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that EU law does not oppose the Catalan amnesty law. www.presos.org.es · www.elperiodicoextremadura.com · www.laopinioncoruna.es