Spain court rules against kingmaker Catalan ex-leader
A top Spanish court has refused to consider former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont's appeal against an arrest warrant issued against him, potentially complicating Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's bid to stay in office.
Following an inconclusive general election in July, Sánchez needs the active support of the seven lawmakers from Puigdemont's hardline Catalan separatist party JxCat to obtain a working majority and remain in power.
In return for backing Sánchez, JxCat is demanding an amnesty for Puigdemont and all others charged over a failed 2017 Catalan independence bid, as well as a referendum on self-determination for the rich northeastern region.
READ ALSO: What's the latest on Spain's election deadlock?
The referendum is likely to be a red line for Sánchez but he remains keen to keep JxCat on side.
The constitutional court's decision is unlikely to help, coming as it does at a time when Sánchez's Socialists are negotiating with Puigdemont's party to try to win their backing.
Catalan separatist parties routinely accuse Spain's courts of being biased against the independence movement.
READ ALSO: Fugitive Catalan leader could determine who governs in Spain
Puigdemont fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution over his role in the 2017 attempt at secession, which sparked Spain's worst political crisis in decades.
Spain's Constitutional Court on Wednesday refused to consider Puigdemont's appeal against his arrest warrant, court sources told AFP on Thursday.
The decision stunned politicians and jurists, because thus far all the appeals connected to the 2017 independence attempt had been deemed receivable by the constitutional court.
The ruling has even been criticised by members of the court itself, and the tribunal's own prosecutors plan to appeal against it.
The court's move "is unusual", Constitutional Court judge María Luisa Escobar said on Thursday during an interview with news radio Cadena Ser.
"It is customary for these appeals to be ruled admissible," she added.
Others pointed to the speed at which the court reached its decision Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, expressed surprise at how quickly the court reached its decision.
"We can't say the constitutional court doesn't work... We submitted the appeal on July 31st and there is already a conclusion," he wrote on Twitter, which is being rebranded as "X".
"Even a 'speedy trial' is not as fast as this," he added.
The head of JxCat, Laura Borras, said on "X" that the court ruling was taken "keeping in mind the investiture" of Spain's next prime minister, without giving details.
Parliament is set to hold an "investiture vote" to determine who should become prime minister, although the exact date has not yet been set.
Spain's conservative Popular Party (PP) won the most seats in the general election on July 23rd but fell short of obtaining a working majority in parliament.
That means Sánchez's Socialists could govern if they can get support from Basque and Catalan nationalists - including JxCat.
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Following an inconclusive general election in July, Sánchez needs the active support of the seven lawmakers from Puigdemont's hardline Catalan separatist party JxCat to obtain a working majority and remain in power.
In return for backing Sánchez, JxCat is demanding an amnesty for Puigdemont and all others charged over a failed 2017 Catalan independence bid, as well as a referendum on self-determination for the rich northeastern region.
READ ALSO: What's the latest on Spain's election deadlock?
The referendum is likely to be a red line for Sánchez but he remains keen to keep JxCat on side.
The constitutional court's decision is unlikely to help, coming as it does at a time when Sánchez's Socialists are negotiating with Puigdemont's party to try to win their backing.
Catalan separatist parties routinely accuse Spain's courts of being biased against the independence movement.
READ ALSO: Fugitive Catalan leader could determine who governs in Spain
Puigdemont fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution over his role in the 2017 attempt at secession, which sparked Spain's worst political crisis in decades.
Spain's Constitutional Court on Wednesday refused to consider Puigdemont's appeal against his arrest warrant, court sources told AFP on Thursday.
The decision stunned politicians and jurists, because thus far all the appeals connected to the 2017 independence attempt had been deemed receivable by the constitutional court.
The ruling has even been criticised by members of the court itself, and the tribunal's own prosecutors plan to appeal against it.
The court's move "is unusual", Constitutional Court judge María Luisa Escobar said on Thursday during an interview with news radio Cadena Ser.
"It is customary for these appeals to be ruled admissible," she added.
Others pointed to the speed at which the court reached its decision Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, expressed surprise at how quickly the court reached its decision.
"We can't say the constitutional court doesn't work... We submitted the appeal on July 31st and there is already a conclusion," he wrote on Twitter, which is being rebranded as "X".
"Even a 'speedy trial' is not as fast as this," he added.
The head of JxCat, Laura Borras, said on "X" that the court ruling was taken "keeping in mind the investiture" of Spain's next prime minister, without giving details.
Parliament is set to hold an "investiture vote" to determine who should become prime minister, although the exact date has not yet been set.
Spain's conservative Popular Party (PP) won the most seats in the general election on July 23rd but fell short of obtaining a working majority in parliament.
That means Sánchez's Socialists could govern if they can get support from Basque and Catalan nationalists - including JxCat.
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