Spanish minister urges Puigdemont to return, criticizes right-wing

Spain's Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, has encouraged former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont to return to Spain, suggesting it would be a significant act of political leadership following the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) ruling on the amnesty law. Puente stated that if he were in Puigdemont's position, he would return to Spain without hesitation.

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If I were the señor Puigdemont, I would plant myself in Spain today without any doubt. I believe that would also be a gesture of political leadership on his part.

Puente expressed his belief in the Spanish justice system, acknowledging that while most judges and rulings adhere to the law, a vocal minority with significant public influence operates with political intent rather than purely legal reasoning. He sarcastically commented on the timing of the ECJ's decision and a Madrid court's resolution regarding Begoña Gómez's appeals, noting the coincidence of these events occurring shortly after each other and implying a lack of genuine legal independence in such instances.

The minister further asserted that the "pact of the transition" in Spain has been broken, attributing this breakdown to the right-wing, which he claims disregards democratic rules and believes power is their birthright. Puente extended this criticism beyond specific political parties, encompassing the political, media, economic, and judicial right-wing, accusing them of disrespecting electoral mandates and resorting to any means necessary to overturn election results.

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Generally when these types of coincidences occur, which is practically always, one should not think badly, we should not be suspicious and, well, it is the normality in which this country has lived for some time.

Puente's remarks highlight the ongoing political tensions in Spain, particularly concerning the Catalan independence movement and the role of the judiciary in political disputes. His call for Puigdemont's return and his critique of the right-wing underscore the deep divisions within Spanish politics and the contested interpretations of democratic principles and legal processes.

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the right-wing, which does not respect the rules of the game of democracy and considers that power belongs to it by nature.