Prime Minister of Spain Supports the Amnesty for 1,400 Catalan Separatists
Spain's acting Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has declared his support for granting amnesty to those involved in the unsuccessful Catalan independence bid of 2017.
This announcement comes from Reuters.
"In the interests of Spain, in defence of the coexistence of Spaniards, today I am advocating for amnesty in Catalonia for the events of the last decade," Sánchez stated during a meeting of the Federal Committee of the Socialist Party in Madrid.
According to him, "we must overcome all the episodes that divided us in the past" in order to move forward.
Sánchez emphasized that his party is "addressing the issues directly," adding that 80% of Catalans supported an agreement on this matter.
The potential amnesty for Catalan separatists has stirred controversy in Spanish political circles, with mainly conservative opponents staging large protests and accusing Sánchez of compromising the rule of law for his own political gain.
After last month's inconclusive national elections, the Spanish Parliament is in a deadlock. Left and right-wing political blocs in the country do not have an absolute majority in the 350-seat chamber.
Sánchez, who is trying to form a coalition government three months after the parliamentary elections, recently signed a coalition agreement with the far-left bloc Sumar, which includes 230 points and primarily deals with social and financial issues.
However, the votes of 31 deputies in the lower house of this party are not enough to extend the term of the Prime Minister, so Sánchez needs the support of Catalan separatist parties Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and Junts, who are demanding an amnesty law that could potentially cover over 1,400 individuals involved in the unsuccessful independence attempt.
It was their votes last week that helped elect Socialist candidate Francina Armengol as the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies.
However, Catalan political forces have stated that this vote only pertained to one position and does not signify support for another term for Sánchez.
Relying on the support of small regional parties is not new for Sánchez. He came to power in 2018 after the first vote of no-confidence in a former Prime Minister in Spanish history.
As reported by The Gaze, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently called on the European Union to recognize Basque, Catalan, and Galician as official languages of the EU.