Next stop, Berlin

Carles Puigdemont was officially freed at 11:14 yesterday but it was not until 2 pm that the 130th president of the Generalitat walked smiling through the door of the Neumünster prison, after depositing the €75,000 bail paid out of the solidarity fund of the ANC and Òmnium . “The time has come for dialogue” and “it is shameful for Europe to have political prisoners” were the two main messages which he addressed to the crowd of waiting journalists. In a speech in German and English, Puigdemont demanded the immediate release of his colleagues in Spanish prisons, after the decision by the Schleswig-Holstein court to rule out extradition on charges of rebellion. “Our struggle is for democracy, not just self-determination,” stressed the exiled president, who emphasised the repercussion for European is what is at stake.

Following his release, Puigdemont went directly to Berlin, to continue preparing his defense and while travelling in the car he recorded a message: “We move ahead, stronger than ever.” The president also stressed that “it is becoming evident” that the separatist leaders have not committed the crimes of which they have been accused. Tomorrow morning he will appear before the press in the German capital.

After Belgium, Scotland, Switzerland and Germany, the legal battle could be fought in the courts in Luxembourg. Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena has raised the possibility of asking for a ruling before the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), based in Luxembourg, on the Euro-order procedure after the German court rejected his plans. Supreme court sources say Llarena wants the ECJ to overturn the ruling and define a position on extradition between member states. Spain’s State Prosecutor also warned it could ask the ECJ itself to defend the extradition warrant.

For the first time ever, the German Foreign Minister, Rainer Breul yesterday called for the formation of a government as quickly as possible in Catalonlia so that Catalan MPs can renew efforts for dialogue.