Amnesty for 1,400 separatists
Sanchez negotiated his way into a controversial majority
November 10, 2023, 12:00 p.m
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Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez is facing another term in office. But the price for this is high and the consequences for the country are not yet foreseeable. In order to get a majority, the 51-year-old had to come to an agreement with the separatists – and pardon one of their leading figures, Puigdemont, who lives in exile.
In Spain, four weeks after the parliamentary elections, the way is clear for the formation of a new government with the help of Catalan separatists. Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez can count on the votes of the Basque nationalist party PNV, as they said. This means that the 51-year-old has a majority in the 350-strong parliament. The government is expected to be formed in the coming days. The conservative opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo had previously failed with his project for a government alliance between his popular party Partido Popular (PP) and the right-wing populist Vox.
The day before, Sanchez’s socialist PSOE had agreed to work together with the Catalan party Junts and in return announced an amnesty for around 1,400 convicted separatists. The former head of government in Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, would also be the beneficiary of a penalty waiver. The Junts politician, who lives in exile in Belgium, said that they would talk to the socialists about a new referendum on Catalan independence.
Amnesty is highly controversial in the country
At the beginning of November, the PSOE had already agreed to work together with the Catalan separatist party ERC. Observers fear that Spain is facing a new phase of political instability. Sanchez has formed a coalition with the left-leaning Sumar. However, in order to be confirmed as head of government, he needs the support of other small parties. Sanchez has been prime minister since 2018 and has led a minority government since 2020.
The planned amnesty is highly controversial in the country and in the EU. In a September survey, around 70 percent of respondents spoke out against it – 59 percent of whom were socialist supporters. In addition, the highest supervisory body of the Spanish judiciary, the Consejo General del Poder Judicial, has expressed serious concerns about the project. EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders also takes this line and has already communicated this to the government in Madrid.
Puigdemont is at the center of the criticism. He declared Catalonia independent in 2017 after a controversial referendum. The central government then accused him of rebellion and embezzlement of public funds. The Constitutional Court saw a breach of the constitution. The Catalan regional government was stripped of its power by the central government and Puigdemont was put on a wanted list. He then fled abroad.