Former Catalan minister Lluís Puig returns home, set to attend Parliament session
Lluís Puig will return to Catalonia on Wednesday, becoming the first of three exiled pro-independence leaders to come back after a judge annulled his arrest warrant.
After a judge nullified the arrest warrant that covered Lluís Puig, former culture minister, and fellow exiled leaders Carles Puigdemont and Toni Comín, Puig is set to fly back to Catalonia on Wednesday, making him the first of the trio to return. He indicated that his schedule differs from Comín’s and that he will travel to Madrid on Thursday to finalize paperwork at the Spanish Congress to assume his role as a eurodeputy.
Puig also intends to attend the Catalan Parliament on Thursday, where a small reception will be held, likely hosted by President Josep Rull and other parliamentary officials. His political résumé includes a short stint as culture minister in 2018 and earlier service as director general in the regional government under Artur Mas and Puigdemont. While in exile in southern France, Puig has occasionally crossed the border discreetly, once at the Col d'Ares during the handover of the Flama del Canigó.
On Wednesday evening he will take part in a cultural event in Terrassa organized by a singers’ activist group. He expressed eagerness to fulfill his democratic mandate after months of remote participation.
Why it matters
Puig's return signals easing legal pressure on Catalan separatist leaders and could influence the balance of power in the regional parliament.
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