Pedro Sanchez is about to take on a new post as Spanish prime minister after his socialist party (PSOE) granted amnesty to Catalan separatists, thus securing the support of the Junts independents led by Carles Puigdemont, with whom he does business. In that sense, it’s an agreement. Among the beneficiaries of the amnesty will be Puigdemont himself, who has been living in exile in Waterloo, Belgium, to avoid arrest after organizing the secession referendum and unilaterally declaring the region’s independence in 2017 when he was president of the Generalitat. If the pardon is approved by Congress, the Junts leader would be able to return to Spain and potentially run for office.
The politician, who is a member of the European Parliament and was elected while an international arrest warrant was issued against him, hailed the agreement with the socialists as a “changing of the narrative” and a step towards resolving the “historic conflict” between Spain and Spain. rich eastern region. Puigdemont, who has put the amnesty as a precondition for any government deal, told a press conference in Brussels that the amnesty offered compensation for what he called Madrid’s “political persecution” and guaranteed it would not happen again. The amnesty could exonerate up to 1,400 activists and politicians involved in the attempt to separate Catalonia from Spain.
But the amnesty decision divided the country and was harshly condemned by Sanchez’s conservative opponents, who staged massive protests and accused him of undermining the rule of law for his own political interests. The People’s Party spoke of a “shameful and humiliating agreement”. In recent nights, protests have been held by supporters of the People’s Party and the far-right group Vox in front of the socialist party’s headquarters in Madrid, resulting in violent clashes with the police due to the presence of neo-Nazi spies. .
A few hours after the agreement was announced, new tensions emerged after Aleix Vidal-Quadras, the former president of the People’s Party of Catalonia, was involved in an attack in which he was injured in the face by gunfire on the street in the very center of the capital. . It’s a move some have linked to tensions with independentists, although police are currently tracking down common criminals.
Even in Brussels, there may be some concerns about the socialists’ move. As Politico reported, European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders sent a letter to the Spanish Ministers of Justice and the Presidency, requesting information about the “possible adoption of an amnesty law” and requesting details “on personal scope, substantive matters.” and that this proposed law is temporary”. According to officials close to the case, the community manager has received “numerous reports from citizens and others regarding concerns about this planned law” and therefore Reynders “wants to get more details from the Spanish authorities in order to form an opinion”.
Catalan politicians and civil society leaders who organized the illegal 2017 independence referendum were sued for embezzlement and mismanagement; He was accused of embezzling public funds for other purposes and diverting them to finance the cause of independence. If these politicians are now planning legislation to prevent prosecution, the Commission could become involved in matters of violation of the rule of law.
According to Sanchez, a deal needs to be made with Junts to return to government after the July elections yielded no overall winner. It is currently not possible for the socialists, despite Junts’ support, to gain an absolute majority of 176 seats to win the first round of the 350-seat congress or a simple majority in the second ballot. They still need the support of five MPs from the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV); The party made an initial offer of support but said it would wait to see the details of the deal between the Socialists and Catalans before confirming their yes. The vote of confidence must be held by November 27, otherwise new elections will automatically be held.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
