Former Catalan president and Junts leader Carles Puigdemont is set to return to Spain after the Supreme Court suspended his arrest warrant. The move follows the Constitutional Court’s decision to uphold amnesty for the alleged misuse of public funds during the Catalan independence lead. Judge Pablo Llarena declared the national warrants for Puigdemont null and void, as well as those for Antoni Comín and Lluís Puig, with the change taking effect immediately. The court still has further decisions to make before the case is fully closed.
Puigdemont has spent almost a decade in self-imposed exile since leaving for Belgium in 2017. He is now expected to return to Catalonia. The Constitutional Court’s ruling passed by a narrow margin of 7 votes to 5, requiring the Supreme Court to apply the amnesty to embezzlement charges related to the 2017 Catalan independence process. The Supreme Court’s decision is not final, and legal analysts in Spain say further steps are needed before the amnesty is fully applied and the case is officially over.
Puigdemont’s escape from Spain has become a modern legend. On October 29, 2017, just after the Spanish government used Article 155 to block Catalan secession, he slipped out of the country. El País reported that he used two cars, a Skoda Octavia and a Mazda CX, to evade police. Rumors have circulated that he hid in a car trunk to cross the border, but Puigdemont has denied the more dramatic details. The story shows how far he went to avoid arrest.
Car trunk sizes have also become an unusual detail in the story. Sedans such as the Škoda Superb and Volkswagen Passat have large trunks. The Superb’s Combi version can hold up to 690 liters, and its cargo area extends nearly two meters deep with the seats down. The Škoda Octavia and Renault Talisman also offer large cargo space, as does the Kia Ceed Tourer. These models are among the options for anyone needing to hide or simply pack a lot of luggage.
SUVs offer more height. The five-seat Škoda Kodiaq has up to 910 liters of cargo space and a flat, tall cargo area. The Volkswagen Tayron and Peugeot 5008 are also roomy. The Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Tiguan offer space for bulky loads or, as the story goes, a politician on the run.
Puigdemont’s return signals a new phase in the standoff between Catalan ambitions and Spanish law. The Supreme Court acted after the Constitutional Court’s amnesty ruling, shifting the legal position of those involved in the independence lead while the political divide dating from 2017 remains. Spanish media have reported that the Supreme Court previously argued that independence leaders used public funds for personal gain. That argument kept them outside the amnesty law until the Constitutional Court intervened.
The legal barriers are falling, with impressive implications for Catalonia and Spain. Even details such as trunk size have become part of the national story. Questions of identity and autonomy remain unresolved, as does reconciliation. Over the next few weeks, the legal opening will test whether it brings progress or further conflict.
