The exiled former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, said on Monday that his party will withdraw its pivotal backing for Spain’s minority left-leaning coalition government – a move that could jeopardise its stability.
Following the indecisive 2023 general election, in which the Socialist Party (PSOE) came in second, the seven parliamentary votes from Puigdemont’s Junts per Catalunya (JxCat) were essential for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to secure another term. ALSO READ: The PSOE and Junts sign a pact that will guarantee investiture of Pedro Sánchez.
In exchange, Sánchez pledged to advance an amnesty law for those prosecuted over Catalonia’s 2017 independence push — the movement that Puigdemont spearheaded, triggering Spain’s most serious political upheaval in decades. ALSO READ: Controversial Catalan amnesty law gets final approval in Spanish Congress.
However, JxCat, which leans pro-business, has argued that the socialists have failed to fulfil their commitments and stressed that its previous deal never implied unconditional support for the government’s broader agenda.
‘The leadership of Junts has decided to withdraw its support for the Socialist party (and) take on the role of opposition,’ Puigdemont told a party meeting held in southern France.
‘We are not willing to continue supporting a government that does not help Catalonia,’ he declared.
Puigdemont said the party’s members would vote on the decision later this week, adding that if it is confirmed, the Sánchez administration would be left ‘without a budget, nor the capacity to govern’.
Although MPs passed the amnesty law last year, it does not cover Puigdemont himself because the embezzlement charges he faces fall outside its scope, preventing his return from exile. ALSO READ: Three Mossos officers suspended following Puigdemont’s escape from Spain.
The former Catalan president has remained in Belgium as he awaits a Constitutional Court ruling on his appeal against being excluded from the amnesty. ALSO READ: Spain’s Constitutional Court rejects PP’s appeal and upholds Catalan amnesty law.
Responding on Monday, the PSOE defended its efforts in Catalonia, citing progress on the amnesty, on moves to make Catalan an official EU language, and on devolving powers to the region. ALSO READ: EU postpones vote on official status of Catalan, Basque & Galician languages.
‘We hope that Junts acts sensibly and thinks about the Catalan people,’ said Lluisa Moret Sabido, spokesperson for the PSC Catalan branch of the Socialist Party. ALSO READ: Catalonia will collect its own taxes in new financial model agreed with central government.
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No estem disposats a seguir ajudant un govern que no ajuda Catalunya. Hem tingut paciència. Estaven advertits i els hem donat moltes oportunitats per canviar, i no ho han fet. Per tant, és el PSOE el màxim responsable del trencament, perquè té a l’abast totes les palanques del… pic.twitter.com/P7swK4EFgQ
— krls.eth / Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) October 27, 2025
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