Spain’s Electoral board vetoes jailed leader Junqueras from taking up MEP seat despite EU court ruling

Spain’s electoral board has vetoed jailed leader Oriol Junqueras from taking up his MEP seat, although two weeks ago the EU court said that the politician should have been allowed to access the post after the European election.

The electoral board’s ruling came on Friday evening, minutes after ousting Catalonia’s president Quim Torra, and before the Supreme Court has its say over the issue after the Luxembourg judicial ruling.

The Supreme Court had asked all sides in the Junqueras case to have their say on the issue before deciding on how to react to Luxembourg’s ruling – yet the electoral board said on Friday the leader of pro-independence party will not be granted his seat regardless of the EU court.

The electoral authority is in charge of officially confirming who get seats after an election – yet the Supreme Court is Spain’s top judicial institution.