EU Court Rules Against Catalan Separatist, Risks Pre-Election Tensions

The European General Court in Luxembourg has ruled against former President of the Gov't of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont, refusing to reinstate his parliamentary immunity and leaving him open to extradition to Spain. The long-running issue risks escalating just ahead of the 23 July general election in Spain, potentially boosting support/turnout among pro-independence parties in Catalonia, but also anti-separatist parties on the right such as the People's Party (PP) and Vox.

• For the catch-all Together for Catalonia (Junts) formerly led by Puigdemont and the left-wing separatist Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) an increased profile for the sitting MEP, could prove a boost. Puigdemont's coming appeal to the ECJ and any potential extradition battle could raise separatist sentiments in Catalonia and other autonomous communities with sizeable separatist movements.
• Countering this, the parties of the right that strongly oppose separatism could use the ruling to highlight incumbent centre-left PM Pedro Sanchez's work with the ERC and the Basque Nationalist Party during his time in gov't,. They have argued that Sanchez has 'given in' to parties that oversaw a period of major political fracturing in Spain at the height of the Catalan independence push.