EU's top court upholds Spain's amnesty law for Catalan separatists

The European Union's top court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), has upheld Spain's amnesty law for Catalan separatists, ruling it does not violate EU rules. The law, approved in 2024, was a key agreement between Spain's ruling Socialist Party and Catalan separatist groups, enabling Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to remain in power. CJEU President Koen Lenaerts stated the court "does not oppose a law, which, in order to reduce institutional and political tensions and facilitate a process of reconciliation, provides for the extinction of criminal liability."

• The ruling may ease tensions between the Socialists and Catalonia's separatist party Junts, which had previously withdrawn parliamentary support.
• Justice Minister Felix Bolaños welcomed the decision, asserting that "All Spaniards, without exception, are beneficiaries of the amnesty law."
• Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, living in self-imposed exile, hailed the ruling as a "resounding victory" for the independence movement, potentially allowing his return to Spain.
• However, the CJEU did rule that Spanish courts cannot be compelled to lift financial responsibilities or halt preliminary proceedings within a fixed two-month timeframe.