1st December 2024
Carles Puigdemont
Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News

Puigdemont pays surprise visit to EU Parliament

Former Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, paid a surprise visit to the European Parliament on Monday afternoon, just a couple of weeks after the institution’s president, Antonio Tajani, cited ‘security threats’ to cancel a talk he was to give there.

Puigdemont went to the Brussels chamber to open an exhibition on the Catalan language organized by MEP Ramon Tremosa and the ‘Plataforma per la Llengua‘ NGO, despite his name not appearing on the list of participants.

Carles Puigdemont
Carles Puigdemont in the EU Parliament on 4 March (Natàlia Segura / ACN)

Among the guests who were announced were Puigdemont’s former ministers, Toni Comín, Lluís Puig, Meritxell Serret and Clara Ponsatí. However, the order blocking the former president’s talk did not explicitly say that he could not enter the building.

Puigdemont’s surprise visit comes as the European Parliament authorised a conference called ‘Catalonia, a Spanish Region’ by the Spanish far-right Vox party about the political situation in Catalonia, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

On announcing the event, Vox accused the Catalan government of attempting a ‘coup’ and called for people to attend the conference to learn ‘the real history of Spain’. Vox politicians Javier Ortega Smith, Jorge Buxadé, and Malena Contestí will be among those speaking.

The exhibit Puigdemont opened, called ‘The Catalan Language: 10 million European Voices,’ was not free of controversy. EU Parliament officials initially withdrew permission for the event due to the proximity of the Spanish general election on 28 April, but later rectified and authorised it to take place.

Recent Posts

100,000 rally in Valencia, calling for regional leader to resign over flood response

News Desk

Spain approves ‘paid climate leave’ for workers during weather emergencies

News Desk

Ten arrested in Andalusia, after police bust hashish smugglers who used Ukrainian drones

News Desk

Sánchez defends central government’s response to Valencia floods, as aid rises to €16.6bn

News Desk

Retired Spanish judges claim ex-king Juan Carlos should ‘face trial for alleged tax crimes’

News Desk

Over 40 rallies across Spain to protest against gender-based violence

News Desk

Leave a Comment