Keys | What are the Brussels agreements that Puigdemont wants to break?

Almost two years after its signing, the executive of Junts per Catalunya has agreed to break the Brussels Agreements, after a meeting in Perpignan (France) convened by Carles Puigdemont. What does this mean?

- What do these agreements consist of?

Junts and the PSOE signed a pact on November 9, 2023. In that agreement, negotiated in Brussels, the Catalan party pledged to support Pedro Sánchez's investiture in exchange for the government accepting a series of demands from the independence movement.

- What do they include?

There are three main points: the amnesty law; the transfer of immigration powers; and the official status of Catalan in the European Union.

The amnesty law for participants in the Catalan independence process, published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) in June 2024, is the main point of contention. Four months ago, the Supreme Court denied amnesty to Puigdemont, considering that the law excludes the type of embezzlement for which the former president is being prosecuted. Junts believes that the PSOE has not promoted this legislation well. Regarding the transfer of powers, the separatists accuse the Socialists of not negotiating the details of this transfer properly with Podemos. Finally, they criticize the Sánchez government for having started negotiations in Brussels late for the official status of Catalan.

- What happens now?

After the party's top brass approved the split, Junts will now raise the issue with its members in an internal consultation scheduled for this week, likely this Wednesday or Thursday. The pro-independence party has argued that its decision should not surprise anyone, arguing that the Socialists'"list of non-compliance" is extensive. The true scope of Junts' decision to break the investiture pact remains to be seen.