Catalan MEPs lose first juridic battle against European Parliament in Luxembourg Court

The General Court of the European Union (EGC) has rejected an appeal lodged by exiled Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and former minister Toni Comín against the European Parliament for initially barring them from taking office as MEPs in 2019.

Elected in May 2019, they were initially unable to take office as they did not travel to Madrid – where they are wanted for organizing the 2017 independence referendum deemed illegal by Spain – to take the constitutional oath required of Spanish officials. They were, however, allowed to take their seats in December 2019 after a court ruled that MEP status is acquired only through elections.

This ruling is not final, so Puigdemont and Comín can still appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).