"Puigdemont will not be able to run in the European [parliamentary] elections," Garcia Egea told a press conference in Madrid.
The politician noted that the request demanding Puigdemont's exclusion from the election list had been filed by his party.
READ MORE: Academic on Catalan Independence Future: No Possibility of Real Referendum
In addition to Puigdemont, Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati, who were also involved in the developments surrounding Catalonia's declaration of independence in 2017, were also excluded from the election list, he added.
On October 1, 2017, Catalonia held an independence referendum that resulted in over 90 percent of voters backing the region's autonomy. Madrid refused to recognize its results, but this did not preclude the Catalan parliament from declaring independence on October 27 of that year. This prompted the Spanish central government to dismiss the regional authorities and impose direct rule over Catalonia. When the new Catalan government led by President Quim Torra came to power in June, Madrid restored the region's autonomy.
READ MORE: Catalan Independence Supporters, Opponents Clashing in Barcelona — Reports
Puigdemont fled from Spain to Belgium in October 2017 to avoid rebellion and sedition charges after the referendum.
