Acquittal under Amnesty Law
The Court of Auditors has acquitted former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and 30 other ex-officials of a €5.3 million claim related to public spending during the 2017 independence referendum, known as the procés. The ruling was issued by Elena Hernáez Salguero, counselor of the Second Department of the Trial Section of the Court of Auditors, and applies the provisions of Organic Law 1/2024, of 10 June, on amnesty for institutional, political, and social normalization in Catalonia. The decision follows a prior endorsement of the amnesty by the Constitutional Court, which last week ordered the Supreme Court to apply the law to embezzlement charges against Puigdemont and other procés leaders. That ruling cleared the way for Puigdemont’s return to Spain after nearly nine years in self-imposed exile in Belgium.
EU Funds Investigation Rejected
Although the case remained open due to questions about possible use of European Union funds, the Court of Auditors concluded no financial interests of the EU were affected. The body acknowledged it had paused proceedings pending a response from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which in summer 2026 confirmed the compatibility of the amnesty law with EU law, while noting concerns only if EU funds had been misused. Sociedad Civil Catalana, which brought the claim, had requested further investigations into whether EU subsidies received by the Generalitat were used to finance the referendum. However, the Court of Auditors denied these requests, stating the issue had not been raised previously and was deemed "irrelevant" before the CJEU’s input.
"I acquit all the defendants by Sociedad Civil and by the Public Prosecutor's Office. in application of the provisions of Organic Law 1/2024, of June 10, on amnesty."
The ruling explicitly states that the expenses claimed fall within the scope of the amnesty law, and therefore the alleged accounting responsibilities are extinguished.
Final Legal Obstacle Removed
This acquittal marks the last pending legal action against Puigdemont in Spain. While he has confirmed his intention to return to Catalonia, no date has been announced. His return will take place ahead of the November 2026 regional elections, in which Junts, the party he leads, is expected to play a significant role. The decision reinforces the legal standing of the amnesty law, which was central to the political agreement enabling Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s re-investment in 2023. Despite opposition from the Supreme Court and parties such as the PP and VOX, the Constitutional Court’s progressive majority upheld the law’s validity, rejecting arguments that public funding of the procés constituted indirect enrichment.
Residents and political observers in Catalonia can now expect heightened activity from exiled leaders returning under the amnesty. For more information on the legal basis of the amnesty, the official text is available via the Generalitat's publication portal.
Primary sources: govern.cat, revistes.eapc.gencat.cat. Reported by elconfidencial.com, Alexis Sánchez of, dw.com, democrata.es, eldiario.es, teleprensa.com, rtve.es, elpais.com, El Confidencial.
