The Superior Court of Catalonia (TSJC) has halted the amnesty process for two senior ERC figures, Josep Maria Jové and Lluís Salvadó. In a decision on September 3, 2026, the court refused their request for immediate amnesty while awaiting further answers from the European Court of Justice (TJUE). Both men are former high-ranking Catalan government officials who remain influential within Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. For now, they will not receive amnesty.
The TSJC is waiting for more specific answers from the TJUE before proceeding. The basic question is whether the amnesty law covers cases involving alleged misuse of public funds and corruption. The judges say the European court’s July 16 ruling, which broadly supported Spain’s amnesty law, did not address all the legal questions in the Jové and Salvadó case. EFE reported that the TSJC maintained its preliminary questions to the EU Court about the law’s compatibility with charges of misusing public funds.
Jové, now president of ERC’s parliamentary group, and Salvadó, the party’s director general, are being prosecuted for malfeasance and disobedience; the case also includes embezzlement. The charges stem from their roles in organizing the 1-O referendum while working under Oriol Junqueras in the Department of Economy during the ‘procés’. Their lawyers argued that the European court’s recent decision should clear the way for amnesty. The TSJC said it did not resolve the specific doubts raised by the Catalan court.
The TSJC says the cases previously addressed by the European court differ from those involving Jové and Salvadó. Its questions to the TJUE, centered on protecting public funds and enforcing anti-corruption rules, remain unanswered. In 2024, the TSJC submitted a preliminary request to the EU Court, specifically asking whether amnesty could apply to cases involving ‘malversación’ (embezzlement or misuse of public funds), Demócrata reported. The amnesty process for the two ERC leaders remains on hold until the court receives clarification.
Other figures involved in the ‘procés’ have seen their legal cases move forward. In late July, the Supreme Court granted amnesty to Meritxell Serret and several former members of the Catalan Parliament’s Mesa, all convicted of disobedience. Their cases advanced quickly after the European court’s decision, illustrating how much the pace of amnesty decisions can vary.
This legal standoff is not unique. As reported earlier, Spain’s judiciary has often clashed with political authorities over judicial independence and how new laws should be interpreted. The TSJC’s position in the Jové and Salvadó case reflects the courts’ determination to apply their own standards, even after national and European institutions have weighed in.
Spain’s amnesty law was intended to ease political tensions and resolve old legal cases stemming from the Catalan independence push. By refusing to proceed without further guidance from the EU, the TSJC has shown that legal consensus remains fragile and mistrust between regional judges and lawmakers persists. For ERC, legal closure remains out of reach, and amnesty is far from guaranteed. Jové and Salvadó remain in legal limbo as the broader amnesty effort stays under close watch.
