The main Catalan separatist parties have agreed to re-elect Carles Puigdemont as regional leader later this month, the ousted leader’s spokesman said Wednesday.
Puigdemont, from the Junts per Catalunya political platform, struck the agreement with Marta Rovira, the second-in-command of the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), who is the party’s caretaker while leader Oriol Junqueras is in jail, at a dinner in Brussels on Tuesday, El País reported.
The new parliament is set to convene January 17. Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium to escape being jailed, plans to appear before the parliament via video link or have his speech, which candidates for the leadership must deliver before a vote, read by a proxy, according to El País.
The former Catalan leader said Tuesday, “It is not possible to return to Catalonia.”
Puigdemont faces possible charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds in relation to the independence referendum if he returns to Spain. He has previously said he will only come back if Madrid offers certain “guarantees.” Several Catalan activists and officials are still behind bars in provisional detention.
The pact between Junts per Catalunya and ERC came after former Catalan President Artur Mas announced Tuesday he would step down as head of his separatist PDeCat party.
Secessionist parties won the most seats in the December 21 election, called after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy fired Puigdemont and his Cabinet as a result of the regional parliament voting in favor of a declaration of independence from Spain in October.
Saim Saeed contributed reporting.