EU court backs amnesty law and opens the door to Puigdemont's return to Spain

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that Spain's amnesty law for those involved in Catalonia's illegal independence process is compatible with EU law.

This paves the way for the possible return of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont after almost nine years in self-imposed exile in Belgium.

In two binding judgements, the court found the law does not undermine EU rules on terrorism, financial interests or legal certainty, and accepted its stated aim of promoting political reconciliation.

However, it said national courts must determine whether any acts involving serious human rights violations fall outside the amnesty. The court also questioned the law's requirement to apply the amnesty within two months if this could undermine pending referrals to the CJEU.

Spain's Constitutional Court and Supreme Court must now decide how to implement the ruling. The law has already benefited around 400 people linked to the Catalan independence process, while separatists hope Puigdemont will return this autumn.

In reply, the fugitive former Catalan president said he was not getting his hopes up.

“We know what we're up against and we are under no illusions,” he warned in a letter published on his X profile. “The match will now no longer be played in Europe, but at the Bernabéu, with both the referees and the crowd on the other side,” he said ironically.