Lawyer Gonzalo Boye believes the State Solicitors' report is not good news for Oriol Junqueras. The eagerly awaited opinion from the Spanish government's legal services on the EU Court of Justice's ruling on Junqueras's immunity as a European parliamentarian was released on Monday morning. The document argues that Junqueras should be allowed to take up his MEP role, at least for the moment, but Boye, one of Carles Puigdemont's lawyers, was not impressed.

From his reading, the lawyer concluded that the State Solicitors "do not support Junqueras" and that "they present the view that the Central Electoral Commission must annul Junqueras' mandate as an MEP". Boye underlines that the Spanish government's lawyers state that, under Spanish law, the Central Electoral Commission (JEC, in its Spanish acronym) has competence on issues related to the proclamation of candidates. The JEC will give its ruling this Friday, in response to an appeal presented by the right-wing Popular Party.

La Abogacía del Estado no apoya a Junqueras, de hecho hace ver que la JEC tiene que anular su mandato como eurodiputado pic.twitter.com/EM37HmQrUZ — Gonzalo Boye (@boye_g) 30 de desembre de 2019

Legal expert Joan Queralt also gave an opinion along similar lines, describing the State Solicitors' document as "a brilliant exercise in tightrope-walking". Many different readings were possible, said Queralt ("Multiple readings a gogo"), suggesting that the State Solicitors also leave the way open for the hardline approach advocated by Spain's Public Prosecutors, who oppose Junqueras's release from prison to take up his MEP role.

Ejercicio brillante de funambulismo jurídico de la Abogada del Estado: nada, camina incluso sobre las olas, y guarda la ropa.

En todo caso deja para el arrastre el aporellismo del MF.

Multilectura à gogo — Joan Queralt (@JoanQueralt) 30 de desembre de 2019