Former culture minister Lluís Puig returns home after nine years in exile

Lluís Puig is home. The former Catalan culture minister returned to his hometown of Terrassa on Wednesday after nine years in exile.

He served in the Catalan government for just over three months before being dismissed in 2017, when Spain imposed direct rule following the independence referendum.

Puig attended Cants de Llibertat (Songs of Freedom), a gathering held every day outside Terrassa town hall since 2017.

Visibly moved by his return, he told the crowd: "Today, the Spanish judiciary that wants to do politics without standing for election has lost."

He was accompanied by a large delegation from his party, Junts, including the secretary-general, Jordi Turull, and the Speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Josep Rull.

Puig made his first public appearance in his hometown shortly after 7.15pm on Wednesday, following four years in Brussels and five in Northern Catalonia, a French region that historically formed part of Catalonia.

A large group of Junts figures, including Rull, Turull, Míriam Nogueras and Joaquim Forn, were waiting to accompany him to the town hall, where the daily gathering celebrating music and freedom had continued throughout the nine years he spent in exile.

Photographers and camera crews slowed the procession, drawing complaints from attendees, with many struggling to see Puig as journalists crowded around the microphone where he addressed the gathering.

The following hour was devoted to an emotional tribute to the former culture minister, featuring poetry, dance and traditional music interspersed with chants calling for freedom.

One surprise was the appearance of a 'capgròs' figure honouring Puig, which was created in 2018 along with one of Josep Rull, who was in prison at the time.

Terrassa mayor Jordi Ballart greeted Puig after the event. He had offered to organise an official reception, but Puig chose to postpone it, preferring to keep the focus on the people gathered in the square.

Gratitude and criticism of the judiciary

Puig thanked the people who had gathered outside Terrassa town hall every evening, as well as supporters who had travelled from across Catalonia and Northern Catalonia.

He expressed "solidarity and courage" with the nearly 100 people who have not been granted amnesty, urging them: "Until this is over, we cannot let up."

He thanked Junts for standing by him before turning his criticism on Spain's judiciary, which he called "a Spanish national disaster."

"Today, Catalonia 2, Spanish state 0," he declared, arguing that Spain had lost nine years by failing to act as it should have on October 27, 2017, when it imposed direct rule.

"Long live Catalonia!" he concluded.

Nine years away from home

Then-Catalan president Carles Puigdemont appointed Puig culture minister on July 5, 2017. Just over three months later, on October 27, Puig and the rest of the government were dismissed following Spain's imposition of Article 155 of the Constitution in response to Catalonia's October 1 independence referendum.

Puig left Catalonia in 2017, avoiding imprisonment but beginning his period of exile in Brussels on November 1 alongside Puigdemont and fellow ministers Toni Comín, Clara Ponsatí and Meritxell Serret.

He stood in that year's Catalan parliamentary election but resigned his seat in January 2018 because he could not attend in person.

Belgium refused to extradite him to Spain, where the Supreme Court accused him of misuse of public funds over his role in organising the October 1 independence referendum.

In 2024, he was elected to the Catalan Parliament again for Junts and participated remotely, with a yellow ribbon marking his seat, as on Puigdemont's.

On Thursday, he will return to Parliament in person for the first time in nine years, where he will be welcomed by the Speaker, Josep Rull.