Puigdemont Plans Return to Spain Amid Controversial Amnesty Bill

The exiled Catalan leader's potential comeback stirs political tensions, challenging Prime Minister Sanchez's fragile coalition.

Carles Puigdemont, the exiled former leader of Catalonia, plans to return to Spain to contest the May elections for regional president.
Puigdemont's return is facilitated by a contentious amnesty bill, currently progressing through Spain's Parliament, which could clear him and hundreds of Catalan independence supporters of legal charges.
The amnesty bill has sparked significant opposition and tension within Spain, including among conservatives, judges, and business groups.
Puigdemont's potential return is seen as a challenge to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government, which relied on a controversial pact with separatists to stay in power.
Polls indicate a complex political landscape in Catalonia, with Puigdemont's Junts party vying for influence against other parties, amid changing priorities among Catalans.