MADRID - The parliament of Spain's Catalonia region is expected to elect a new leader this week, although the event may be upstaged by the return of its former leader from self-imposed exile, despite a pending warrant for his arrest.

Carles Puigdemont is the figurehead of hardline separatist party Junts, and led Catalonia between 2016 and 2017 before fleeing Spain following a referendum on independence deemed illegal by the judiciary.

It remains unclear how he plans to return to the country and enter the regional parliament while evading police.

Jordi Turull, secretary-general of Junts, told broadcaster 324 on Tuesday that he would call for the leadership vote to be suspended if Puigdemont is detained, as "it cannot take place in normal conditions" without him present.

The vote to invest Socialist Salvador Illa, who will be backed by the left-wing separatist ERC party after a bilateral deal last week, is expected to be held on Thursday. The parliamentary speaker has yet to confirm the date.

EXCLUDED FROM AMNESTY

The Spanish parliament passed an amnesty law in May pardoning those involved in the failed 2017 secession bid, but the Supreme Court upheld arrest warrants for Puigdemont and two others, who were also charged with embezzlement, ruling that the amnesty law does not apply to them.

A source close to Puigdemont told Reuters he had "no doubt" that the former leader - who lived in Belgium between 2017 and 2024 while serving as a member of the European Parliament and has in recent months been based in southern France - would be arrested upon re-entering Spain and brought before the Supreme Court in Madrid.

In an open letter posted on his X account on Friday, Puigdemont described Spain's efforts to detain him as a "hybrid coup", adding "if they succeed, I imagine what awaits me and know what I must do".

ERC spokesperson Raquel Sans acknowledged on Tuesday that Puigdemont's arrest could delay the vote for a new Catalan leader.

Police will try to arrest Puigdemont before he reaches the heavily guarded parliament building in Barcelona, but are also authorised to enter if needed, El Periodico newspaper reported, citing police sources.

Officers were also monitoring the sewer system in case it was used for alternative entry routes.

In 2011, then-leader Artur Mas was forced to access the building's rooftop by helicopter after it was surrounded by nearly 1,000 anti-austerity activists protesting against budget cuts.

  - Reuters