On Tuesday, a closed-door meeting will take place in Brussels between the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, and the former head of the region, Carles Puigdemont, who has been in Belgium since 2017. The talks will be held at the Catalan government’s representation to the European Union and are seen as an important step in the political settlement process following years of tensions related to the independence movement.
Carles Puigdemont, leader of Junts per Catalunya and a member of parliament, has remained in Belgium since the Catalan independence referendum and the subsequent events that led to his departure from Spain. He is currently awaiting the opportunity to benefit from the terms of the amnesty law, which is under discussion in the country.
The meeting is being organized just days after Salvador Illa publicly advocated for the prompt application of the amnesty law to all participants of the 2017 events. The Catalan government emphasizes that they consider this law to be fully constitutional, and view the meeting itself as necessary for further normalization of the region’s political situation.
Organizers of the meeting point out that it will be held at the official representation of the Generalitat in Brussels, rather than at Puigdemont’s private residence in Waterloo. This choice of venue underscores the institutional nature of the talks and the intention to give them an official status.
The Catalan government emphasizes that the meeting is not directly related to the need for Junts party support for the approval of the new state budgets, although negotiations between the Socialists and Junts on various issues continue at the national level.
The Junts per Catalunya party has repeatedly insisted on the need for a face-to-face meeting between Illa and Puigdemont since Illa took office as president of Catalonia. Previously, during Illa’s visits to Brussels, such talks did not take place despite meetings with other former regional leaders in Barcelona. Junts believes that the lack of dialogue with Puigdemont, who continues to play a key role in politics, was unacceptable.
Junts secretary general Jordi Turull said the meeting was overdue but stressed that the initiative came from the current president of Catalonia. In recent months, Junts representatives have repeatedly voiced their dissatisfaction with the lack of contact between Puigdemont and the Socialist leadership, and have also called for a more explicit recognition of political amnesty for the former regional leader.
The meeting is expected to take place without a pre-approved agenda. In addition to talks with Puigdemont, Salvador Illa plans to attend the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the millennium of the Monastery of Montserrat, which is also part of his official program for the visit to Brussels.
Meanwhile, Junts per Catalunya continues negotiations with the Socialists on national issues, but in Catalonia, the party maintains an oppositional stance toward Illa’s government. Among Junts’ priorities are the promotion of official status for the Catalan language in Europe and expanding the powers of the Generalitat in migration policy.
At the same time, Salvador Illa is seeking support to pass the regional budget; however, the Socialists are not counting on Junts votes in this matter. ERC party leader Oriol Junqueras, who is also awaiting the implementation of the amnesty law, highlighted the importance of all political forces working together to address key issues facing Catalonia, such as funding and the development of transport infrastructure.
