After the Spanish Supreme Court's decision on Sunday to return the decision on the European election candidature of Carles Puigdemont, Clara Ponsatí and Toni Comín to the administrative court in Madrid, lawyer Gonzalo Boye is convinced that the courts will also "rule in our favour on immunity." That is, on the rights to parliamentary immunity from detention and legal proceedings that cover MEPs, another issue in relation to Puigdemont's campaign for EU office, given that he is wanted by the law in Spain, but not in the rest of the EU.
"We said from the beginning that they can run for election," declared Boye on his Twitter account. On the immunity question: "The Supreme Court will also find in our favour when the time comes... and I'll leave it at that," he wrote.
Lo dijimos desde un principio: @KRLS @ClaraPonsati y @toni_comin pueden concurrir a las elecciones y, ahora, el Supremo también nos da la razón; también nos la darán sobre la inmunidad cuando llegue el momento... y ahí lo dejo
— Gonzalo Boye (@boye_g) 5 de maig de 2019
In declarations to El Nacional after today's Supreme Court ruling, the lawyer stated that his clients "have won" and the key aspect is that Spain's high court "does not find any cause for the ineligibility" of the three exiled politicians to run for office. For this reason, said Boye, the Supreme Court ordered the competent courts to resolve these appeals immediately, since in its view there are no compelling reasons why Puigdemont, Comín and Ponsatí wouldn't be eligible to run for election.
Boye's message on 'immunity' arises from another question raised with respect to Carles Puigdemont's EU candidacy: whether, if elected, the immunity he would be covered by as a European parliamentarian would enable him to take up and carry out his office, even if still wanted on rebellion charges in the Spanish state. Boye has assured that if the exiled president wins EU office he will be perfectly able to return to the Spain to carry out swearing-in formalities - without the risk of being arrested by Spanish authorities.