Three agents from the French Gendarmerie have paid a visit to the venue of the annual Catalan Summer University (UCE) to ask about the whereabouts of Catalana president in exile Carles Puigdemont. This has been confirmed by UCE sources to this newspaper, who told the French police that Puigdemont does not plan to attend this year’s edition, held in the northern Catalan town of Prada de Conflent - in French territory. The officers went on to ask the organizers about the anti-Covid measures at the event.
They asked for Puigdemont
As the sources explained to ElNacional.cat, the French police officers entered the Pau Casals hostel in Prada this afternoon and approached the organizers to ask if the Catalan president in exile was on the UCE premises. After receiving a negative answer - that he is not there and does not plan to take part in any of the days of the event - the agents asked about the public health measures being applied on the university site. The sources reported that the Gendarmerie did not give the reason that they were looking for Puigdemont. They only conveyed that they were present on orders from the sub-prefect of Prada.
Unlike previous editions, this year president Puigdemont has no plans to take part in the event. This is the third year in a row that the French authorities have checked whether Puigdemont is attending the UCE.
Catalonia's summer university
Everything is ready. The Catalan Summer University (UCE) will kick off its 53rd edition tomorrow. Once again, the northern Catalan town of Prada de Conflent will host all kinds of events and activities during the next seven days - from 16th to 22nd August.
After a 2020 edition marked by the limitations due to the Covid pandemic, this year the UCE is recovering face-to-face seminars, workshops, debates and concerts, among other activities. Of course, safety measures are still in force.
The motto chosen by the UCE in 2021 is: Make the Catalan countries a normal nation. Many well-known Catalan figures will also take part as speakers: on Wednesday, Joaquim Forn will speak of his experience since his release from prison following the pardons granted by the Spanish government last June. Others who will be taking part include Laura Borràs, Quim Torra, and Laura Vilagrà.
Last summer, Carles Puigdemont gave an address at the UCE entitled "Independence, deactivated?", arguing that “attempts by the State to deactivate political leadership have failed”.
Arrest warrants are suspended
In March this year, the European Parliament voted to waive the parliamentary immunity which protected Puigdemont and his fellow MEPs Clara Ponsatí and Toni Comín from the arrest sought by the Spanish justice system. In June, an EU court ruling suspended this waiver on an urgent interim basis - reimposing the parliamentary immunity enjoyed by the Catalan trio. Then, on July 30th, a new court ruling again lifted the immunity of the three MEPs, but it did so based on the argument that the European Arrest Warrants for the Catalan politicians are currently suspended and therefore are not grounds on which they could be arrested in EU countries outside Spain.
Main photo: Catalan president in exile, Carles Puigdemont / Efe