EU Court set to rule on Spain's amnesty law affecting Carles Puigdemont

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) will deliver its judgment on Thursday, July 16, on whether Spain’s 2024 amnesty law complies with EU law. The case concerns the law’s treatment of alleged misappropriation of public funds during the 2017 Catalan referendum and the amnesty of convicted terrorism‑related CDR members. The General Advocate of the ECJ has already issued a supportive opinion.

If the ECJ finds the law compatible with EU law, the detention orders against former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and other former procés leaders could be lifted, allowing their return to Spain pending a decision by Spain’s Constitutional Court. Professor Javier Pérez Royo noted that “if the ECJ backs the amnesty, Puigdemont could return on July 16.” The outcome also impacts ex‑regional ministers such as Toni Comín, Lluís Puig, Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Turull and others, and could shift the political balance ahead of upcoming elections.

The amnesty law was passed in 2024 with the backing of the Junts party as a key element of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s investiture. Spain’s Supreme Court applied the law partially, refusing amnesty for misappropriation offences, leaving the legal status of several leaders unresolved. The ECJ’s ruling will be binding on Spanish courts and may require the Spanish Court of Auditors and the National Court to absolve dozens of former officials if the law is upheld.