The Spanish Supreme Court declared the criminal responsibility of the 2017 independence referendum leaders extinguished on October 20, 2026, complying with a binding Constitutional Court ruling while launching a fierce institutional rebuke against it.
The Supreme Court Retreats Under Protest
The Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court formally applied the Amnesty Law to key pro-independence figures, including former Vice President of the Generalitat and leader of ERC Oriol Junqueras, former consellers Raül Romeva and Jordi Turull, and former consellera Dolors Bassa. This judicial pivot follows the Constitutional Court’s decision to validate the forgiveness of the embezzlement charge.
Yet, the high court magistrates used their ruling to push back hard against the constitutional judges. The Supreme Court accused the constitutional body of “invading” its judicial turf and turning itself into an unauthorized appellate review board. The magistrates, including ponente Manuel Marchena, criticized what they termed the “unnecessary grandilocuence” of the constitutional rulings.
🔴 Aplicación total de la amnistía: el Supremo declara extinguida la responsabilidad penal del exvicepresidente catalán Junqueras, y los exconsellers Romeva, Turull y Bassa▪️ Les perdona el delito de malversación tras la sentencia del Constitucional🎙️ @gema_alfaro pic.twitter.com/Osgi1G5uhQ
An editorial commentary noted that the Supreme Court’s resolution defended its constitutional standing with a “contained, respectful, and firm” prose, even while bowing to the higher court’s authority on fundamental rights.
ERC Adds Junqueras to Barcelona Candidate List
With their disqualifications rendered null and void—penalties that originally stretched into the 2030s—Catalonia's political alignment has shifted overnight. As RTVE.es detailed, the lifting of these bans allows figures like Junqueras and Bassa to re-enter public office and professional life immediately.
Oriol Junqueras, Raül Romeva y Dolors Bassa cerrán las lista de ERC en las generales tras dejar de estar inhabilitados▪️En la formación se muestran "satisfechos" por la amnistía y creen que "se ha hecho justicia"🎙️ Toni Conde | @radio4_rne pic.twitter.com/kMZ70cmyLs
Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) moved quickly to use this new legal reality ahead of the upcoming November 29 elections. The party’s National Council ratified candidate lists featuring Oriol Junqueras occupying the 31st spot for Barcelona, alongside Raül Romeva as the first substitute. Gabriel Rufián is the head of the list for Barcelona, while the candidate lists also integrate four independent figures from Podemos, including Alejandra Sandoval and María Pozuelo.
Diverging Reactions Across the Independence Movement
Outside party headquarters in Barcelona, the leaders who walked free offered sharply contrasting assessments of the day’s events. Addressing supporters and media, Oriol Junqueras did not mince words regarding the decade-long judicial fallout. “Hoy es un día de victoria, de celebración, tras nueve años de represión que nunca tuvieron que haber existido,” Junqueras stated, and added that the repression lived “demuestra que nos tienen mucho miedo, y hacen bien de tenernos ese miedo.”
Junqueras emphasized the personal and political dimensions of his return, noting that he can now return to his university lecturing post while politics moves back to the institutional arena. Other leaders struck different chords. Jordi Turull, speaking from the headquarters of Junts, welcomed the decision as an act of justice but maintained that the broader political conflict remains wide open, declining a spot on the immediate electoral lists.
ERC Ratifies Candidate Lists for November Elections
The candidate lists ratified by the Consell Nacional de ERC for the November 29 elections feature Teresa Jordà as head of the list for Girona, Inés Granollers for Lleida, and Norma Pujol for Tarragona, alongside Gabriel Rufián for Barcelona. Following Gabriel Rufián, the Barcelona list includes Mireia Ingla, Jordi Albert, Laura Pelay, David Minoves, Alejandra Sandoval from Podemos, Àlex Ramon, Fernanda Arribas, Héctor Sánchez from Comunistes, and María Pozuelo from Podemos. The four representatives from Podemos are Alejandra Sandoval in position 6, María Pozuelo in position 10, and David Clarà in position 23 for Barcelona, while Toni Carmona occupies position 4 for Tarragona.
