Catalan President Salvador Illa will meet former president Carles Puigdemont in Brussels this Tuesday, marking their first face-to-face encounter. The meeting follows the Constitutional Court’s endorsement of Spain’s Amnesty Law, although Puigdemont has not yet benefited from its provisions.
The amnesty law, passed earlier this year, is aimed at pardoning those involved in the Catalan independence process, including Puigdemont, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since 2017. The ruling by the Constitutional Court has removed one of the final legal obstacles, but the law still needs to be formally applied to his case.
The Brussels meeting is seen as a highly symbolic step in Catalan and Spanish politics. Illa, who recently assumed leadership of the Generalitat, has emphasised dialogue and reconciliation as central to his agenda. For Puigdemont, the meeting represents an opportunity to remain a relevant political actor as talks about Catalonia’s political future continue.
Observers expect the conversation to cover not only the amnesty but also Catalonia’s financing and future governance. Both leaders face pressure: Illa from those demanding progress on reconciliation, and Puigdemont from supporters seeking guarantees of political change.
