Puigdemont - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. Carles Puigdemont is a Catalan politician who served as the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia from January 2016 to October 2017.
- 2. Puigdemont was born on December 29, 1962, in Amer, a small town in Catalonia, Spain.
- 3. He was a member of the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) and was known for his pro-independence stance.
- 4. Puigdemont played a key role in the Catalan independence movement, advocating for Catalonia's secession from Spain and pushing for a referendum on independence.
- 5. In October 2017, Puigdemont and other Catalan leaders declared independence from Spain following a controversial referendum that was deemed illegal by the Spanish government.
- 6. The Spanish government responded by imposing direct rule on Catalonia, dismissing Puigdemont and his government, and calling for new elections in the region.
- 7. Puigdemont fled to Belgium to avoid arrest and has since lived in exile, facing charges of rebellion and sedition in Spain.
- 8. Despite being in exile, Puigdemont continued to be active in Catalan politics, advocating for the independence movement and criticizing the Spanish government's actions in Catalonia.
- 9. In 2019, Puigdemont was elected as a Member of the European Parliament, but his immunity was later revoked by the European Parliament due to the ongoing legal proceedings against him in Spain.
- 10. Puigdemont remains a controversial figure in Catalan politics, with some viewing him as a hero of the independence movement and others as a divisive figure who has caused turmoil in the region.