Who is Carles Puigdemont? The exiled Catalan leader who could finally return to Spain after almost a decade following crucial court ruling

On Tuesday, Spain's Supreme Court lifted an arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, enabling his return home before the November elections. Puigdemont had fled to Belgium in 2017 following a failed attempt to secede Catalonia from Spain, where he was accused of embezzling public funds to hold an illegal referendum on independence.

Judge Pablo Llarena lifted the warrant after Spain's Constitutional Court ruled that a 2024 amnesty for Catalan separatists also covered embezzlement cases. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed the decision, stating it would help Catalonia "look to the future." While Puigdemont and other members of his government had fled abroad, several Catalan ministers who remained in Spain faced lengthy prison terms.

In 2024, the Sanchez government passed an amnesty law to ease tensions in Catalonia, but Puigdemont's Junts party withdrew its support after accusing Sanchez of failing to fulfill promises, such as providing amnesty for its leader. The Constitutional Court's recent ruling changed Puigdemont's status, as he had been excluded from the amnesty due to his embezzlement charges.

Last week, Junts voted against a housing relief measure proposed by Sanchez's government during protests, leading Sanchez to call a snap election for November 29.