Exiled Catalan Leader Speaks In Barcelona, But No Sign Of Arrest Yet

Former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2017, spoke before a crowd in Barcelona earlier this morning ahead of the investiture of Salvador Illa as the next Catalan head of gov't. The investiture has been seen as a moment of high political tension, given that an arrest warrant remains in force against Puigdemont regarding allegations of embezzlement during the illegal 2017 independence referendum.

• In his address before several thousand supporters Puigdemont decried the gov't in Madrid for persecuting the Catalan identity. He also claimed that PM Pedro Sanchez's amnesty for those involved in the 2017 referendum was false.
• After his speech, Puigdemont began walking towards Ciutadella Park where the Catalan parliament is situated. However, when the Junts delegation arrived at the chamber, Puigdemont was not among them. Catalunya Radio reports that Puigdemont left the area without attempting to enter the parliament. Given the significant police presence around the park, there was a reasonable prospect he would have been arrested had he tried to do so.
• It remains unclear if Puigdemont will remain in Catalonia to lead the pro-independence opposition, or if he will return to France to avoid arrest.
• Catalan News reports on the deal between incoming president Illa's pro-union Socialists' Party of Catalonia and the pro-independence Republican Left of Catalonia: "ERC's deal with the Socialists to back Illa's presidency includes plans to change the financial model of Catalonia, to let the Catalan government collect and manage 100% of the taxes paid in the territory."