Carles Puigdemont
Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó (born 29 December 1962) was the 130th President of Catalonia.[1] In 2017, he fled the country.[2] His party, Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya, CDC) won the elections in 2016.
Carles Puigdemont | |
|---|---|
 Puigdemont in 2016 | |
| 130th President of Catalonia | |
| In office 12 January 2016 – 28 October 2017 | |
| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Vice President | Oriol Junqueras |
| Preceded by | Artur Mas |
| Succeeded by | Quim Torra |
| Member of the Parliament of Catalonia for the Province of Barcelona | |
| Assumed office December 2017 | |
| Member of the Parliament of Catalonia for the Province of Girona | |
| In office 10 November 2006 – 27 October 2017 | |
| Mayor of Girona | |
| In office 1 July 2011 – 11 January 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Anna Pagans |
| Succeeded by | Albert Ballesta i Tura |
| Member of the Municipality Council of Girona | |
| In office 11 June 2007 – 11 January 2016 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó 29 December 1962 Amer, Catalonia, Spain |
| Political party | Catalan European Democratic Party |
| Other political affiliations | Junts per Catalunya |
| Spouse(s) | Marcela Topor (m. 2000) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Girona / Waterloo |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Carles Puigdemont |
Removal
His status as President is a matter of dispute following Catalonia's declaration of independence from Spain on 27 October 2017. From the perspective of the Government of Catalonia, he remains Catalan President. From the perspective of the Government of Spain, he was removed from office by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on 28 October 2017.[3] Puigdemont did not recognize his removal from office, stating that he will "work to build a free country".[4]
On 30 October 2017, Puigdemont fled to Belgium in a move to avoid action from the Spanish judiciary.[5] A month later, he was re-elected to the Parliament.[6]
Arrest
On 2 November, Spanish courts issued an European Arrest Warrant against Puigdemont and four other cabinet members to Belgian authorities.[7] Two days later, they turned themselves in to the Belgian police.[8] Hours later, he was released.[9]
On 25 March 2018, while returning to Brussels from a trip to Finland, Puigdemont was stopped near the Danish border with Germany and arrested pursuant to the European warrant that had been reissued against him two days previously.[10][11][12] On 5 April 2018, the Oberlandesgericht in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein ruled that Puigdemont would not be extradited on the charges of rebellion,[13] and released him on bail.[14]
Carles Puigdemont Media
Puigdemont (right) as a child with his elder brother
Protest against the trial of Artur Mas, Joana Ortega and Irene Rigau on 6 February 2017
Puigdemont addresses a crowd following the Catalan declaration of independence on 27 October 2017
Protest march in Barcelona in support of Puigdemont on 15 April 2018
Puigdemont attending a memorial for the bombing of Guernica in Berlin on 26 April 2018
Puigdemont and Comín attending the EP session on 13 January 2020
President Puigdemont walking through Barcelona with his daughters on Saint George's Day
President Puigdemont, Prime Minister Rajoy and King Felipe VI attending the Barcelona rally in response to terror attacks in August 2017
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Notes
References
- ↑ "president.cat". www.president.cat. Archived from the original on 2016-04-01. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
- ↑ "Puigdemont recorda els cinc anys d’exili i critica la reforma de la sedició". El Món - Notícies i actualitat d'última hora en Català (in català). 2022-10-30. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
- ↑ Ponce de León, Rodrigo (27 October 2017). "Rajoy cesa a Puigdemont y su Govern y convoca elecciones para el 21 de diciembre" (in es). eldiario.es. http://www.eldiario.es/politica/Rajoy-cesa-Puigdemont-Govern_0_701680927.html. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ↑ "Catalan ex-leader Carles Puigdemont vows to resist takeover". BBC News. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ↑ Cortizo, Gonzalo (30 October 2017). "Puigdemont y parte de su gobierno se refugian en Bélgica para evitar a la justicia española" (in es). eldiario.es. http://www.eldiario.es/politica/Puigdemont-Belgica-justicia-euroorden-detencion_0_702730131.html. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ↑ "Eleccions al Parlament de Catalunya 2017: Composició del Parlament" (in català). Generalitat de Catalunya. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ↑ "Spain issues warrant for Catalan ex-leader" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2017-11-03. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41865121. Retrieved 2017-11-04.
- ↑ Boffey, Daniel (2017-11-05). "Carles Puigdemont turns himself in to Belgian police" (in en-GB). The Guardian. . https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/05/carles-puigdemont-turns-himself-in-to-belgian-police-catalonia. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
- ↑ Schreuer, Milan (5 November 2017). "Puigdemont and Other Catalonia Separatists Report to Belgian Police". The New York Times (New York, US). https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/world/europe/carles-puigdemont-brussels-arrest.html. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ↑ Catalonia ex-leader Carles Puigdemont arrested in Germany, Al Jazeera English, March 25, 2018
- ↑ "Fugitive former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont arrested in Germany". The Independent. 25 March 2018.
- ↑ Carles Puigdemont Is Arrested in Germany, Drawing E.U. Giant Into Catalan Fight, nytimes.com, 25 March 2018
- ↑ what was requested by the public prosecutor for Schleswig-Holstein on 3 April 2018 (see German prosecutors seek extradition of Catalonia's Carles Puigdemont, dw.com, 3 April 2018).
- ↑ "Germany refuses to extradite Catalonia's Puigdemont on rebellion charges" (in en-GB). The Independent. 5 April 2018. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/carles-puigdemont-catalonia-germany-extradite-charges-rebellion-spain-arrest-a8290806.html. Retrieved 5 April 2018.