MADRID (Reuters) – The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and Junts per Catalunya announced on Thursday an agreement providing that elected representatives of the Catalan independence party will support in Parliament the formation of a new government led by Pedro Sanchez in exchange for a law amnesty for separatists.
Pedro Sanchez is seeking a new term as president of the government since the legislative elections in July, which did not give an absolute majority to any political party, and the failure of the conservatives, who came first in the vote, to bring together a government coalition.
The socialist leader, head of government since 2018, reached an agreement last month with the left-wing Sumar alliance but he needs the support of the seven elected officials from Carles Puigdemont’s Junts per Catalunya party and that of other small parties to ensure a majority in Parliament. The nomination vote could be organized as early as next week.
During negotiations with the PSOE, Junts per Catalunya declared that it would provide the support of its seven elected officials to Pedro Sanchez in exchange for an amnesty law that could benefit 1,400 activists and political leaders involved in the referendum on the independence of Catalonia in 2017, illegal in the eyes of Madrid.
PSOE number three Santos Cerdan, who participated in the negotiations, clarified to the press that the amnesty project would concern activists involved in initiatives in favor of Catalan independence between 2012 and 2023. It would be up to the judges to designate specifically the people for whom this amnesty would apply, he said.
“It is not an agreement for the investiture, but an agreement for a four-year legislature,” assured Santos Cerdan.
The PSOE also signed an agreement on November 2 with another Catalan separatist party, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC).
The possible amnesty of independence activists is strongly denounced by the conservative opposition which has organized large protest demonstrations.
Reacting to Thursday’s announcement, the spokesperson for the conservative Popular Party (PP), Cuca Gamarra, denounced a “shameful and humiliating agreement”. “I am afraid that we are becoming a dictatorship,” said the president (PP) of the community of Madrid, Isabel Ayuso.
On Wednesday, the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, sent a letter to the Spanish government asking for further details on the contours of an amnesty law under negotiation.
“Serious concerns have been expressed regarding the ongoing discussions on the possible adoption of an amnesty law,” he wrote in this letter addressed to the Minister of the Spanish Presidency, Felix Bolanos.
“Even if there is currently no formal proposal, this has become a subject of considerable importance in the public debate and the Commission has been contacted on this subject, in particular by a large number of citizens”, a- he explained.
“If an amnesty law were to be tabled (in Parliament), rest assured that we would explain to you all the details of such a project, as well as the position of our government,” replied Felix Bolanos.
(Belen Carreno, Joan Faus, David Latona, Graham Keeley, Jean-Stéphane Brosse for the French service, editing by Nicolas Delame and Tangi Salaün)
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