Former Catalan regional premier Carles Puigdemont at today’s press conference. Olivier Matthys / AP

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More information Ousted Catalan premier to explain trip to Brussels

Ousted Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont said he does not plan to avoid legal proceedings launched by Spanish prosecutors on Monday but that he has no plans to return to Spain until he is “given guarantees” that he will receive fair treatment.

Speaking at a packed press conference in Brussels today, he said that he and the former ministers of the Catalan government with whom he had traveled to the Belgian capital would return to Spain immediately if they were guaranteed a “fair” and “independent” trial with “a separation of powers.”

Puigdemont, who continues to consider himself the premier of the Catalan executive despite his dismissal under the application of Article 155 by Spain’s central government, said he had traveled to Brussels with his colleagues “to make clear the politicization of Spanish justice.”

“I am not here [in Belgium] to apply for political asylum, we are here to act with liberty and security,” said Puigdemont, speaking of the “threat” of 30 years in prison after Spanish state prosecutors filed formal accusations of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds against the former premier, his ministers and members of the speakers committee of the Catalan parliament.

“The other part of the government, headed by [former] deputy premier [Oriol Junqueras] will remain in Catalonia as legitimate members of the Catalan government,” said Puigdemont.

“We have never abandoned the government. More than that, we will continue working,” he added, calling on the Catalan people to prepare “for a long road ahead.”

At the press conference, during which he spoke in Catalan, French and Spanish, the former premier also confirmed that his PDeCAT party would run in the December 21 election called by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. “It’s a challenge we are going to accept,” he said.

He said added that he would respect the results and called on Madrid to do the same.

Puigdemont insisted that the state that had called elections wanted to “put him in jail” for completing his electoral program. “We have a strictly European agenda here,” he said of his visit to Belgium. “We have had no other type of contact.”

During the press conference, Puigdemont was joined by seven members of his former cabinet who have also traveled to Brussels.