The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on Thursday that Spain's 2024 Amnesty Law does not violate European Union law. The decision, delivered by the Grand Chamber in Luxembourg, represents a significant legal development regarding the political fallout from the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. The court concluded that the legislation, which aims to reduce institutional tensions and facilitate reconciliation, is compatible with EU directives, including those concerning financial interests and counter-terrorism. By rejecting claims that the law undermines the bloc's financial integrity or security standards, the court has effectively removed a major European-level hurdle for the measure.
Despite this validation, the ruling does not grant an immediate return to Spain for former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont. The CJEU emphasized that the application of the law remains a matter for national courts. In Spain, the Supreme Court has previously declined to apply the amnesty to Puigdemont, citing charges of embezzlement related to the use of public funds for the 2017 referendum. Consequently, the national arrest warrant against him remains active. The legal focus now shifts to Spain’s Constitutional Court, which is expected to review the case in the coming months.
For the Spanish government, the ruling is a major political victory. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration, which negotiated the amnesty as part of a parliamentary agreement to secure support for his term, has called for the law to be applied as soon as possible. Government officials argue that the European decision confirms the law's constitutionality and compliance with international standards. Meanwhile, separatist leaders have hailed the verdict as a triumph, though they acknowledge that the domestic judicial process is far from over. The practical impact for the public remains tied to how Spanish judges interpret the European ruling in their ongoing proceedings against various separatist figures.