Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez received on Thursday November 9th the approval of the party of Catalan separatist Carles Puigdemont, essential for his return to power, in return for a very controversial amnesty law that is increasing tensions in the country.
After weeks of intense negotiations, the head of government’s Socialist Party and Mr. Puigdemont’s formation, Together for Catalonia (Junts per Catalunya), signed an agreement early on Thursday morning, the two formations reported in statements to the press, without giving details of the content.
Carles Puigdemont will speak at 2 p.m. (French time) from Brussels, where he fled to avoid prosecution by the Spanish justice system after the Catalan secession attempt failed in 2017. “The agreement is not [seulement] An investiture agreement is a legislative agreement with the aim of ensuring “stability”. [du gouvernement] during the four-year legislative period,” Santos Cerdan, senior leader of the Socialist Party, who negotiated this agreement on behalf of Mr. Sanchez, told the press in Brussels.
The prime minister, who has led Spain’s government since June 2018, is close to completing his challenge to stay in power after outperforming the polls in July 23 general elections, two months after a debacle opposed those who predicted his defeat of the left in local elections. The socialist ultimately performed better than expected against his conservative rival from the People’s Party (PP), Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, who came first in the poll but was unable to be installed as prime minister at the end of September due to a lack of support. sufficient support in parliament.
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In return for the essential votes of Catalan pro-independence deputies, Mr. Sanchez had to give in to their demand for an amnesty law for their leaders and activists who were prosecuted by the Spanish justice system for their involvement in the 2017 secession attempt, one of the worst political crises that modern-day Spain has experienced.
A “shameful agreement” for the rights
This law, which aims to allow Mr Puigdemont’s return to Spain, must be passed by Parliament once Mr Sanchez has been installed by MPs, probably next week. On Wednesday, the European Commission asked Madrid for “detailed information” on this amnesty project.
Brought to power five years ago largely thanks to the votes of Catalan parties, Pedro Sanchez has already in 2021 pardoned the separatist leaders who were sentenced to long prison sentences in 2019 for their role in 2017. But this news is the concession of the socialist. The Catalan separatists increased tensions in the country. The right and far-right accuse Mr. Sanchez, who has opposed the idea of amnesty in the past, of being willing to do anything to stay in power.
They demonstrated several times to denounce a “scandal,” and far-right rallies outside the Socialist Party headquarters in Madrid ended in scuffles with police on Monday and Tuesday, scenes of violence quite unusual in Spain.
Organizations close to the far-right Vox party called on Thursday evening for renewed mobilization against what they described as a “coup.” “We are facing a shameful agreement with which Sanchez will humiliate Spain” by being supported by a “refugee,” said PP number two Cuca Gamarra, alluding to Carles Puigdemont. The president of the Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, a rising right-wing figure, even went so far as to accuse the prime minister of establishing a “dictatorship.”
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The PP called on its supporters to gather again on Sunday in all the capitals of the department and another large demonstration is planned in Madrid on Saturday 18th. Beyond the opposition of the right and the conservative fringe of the judiciary, which considers this amnesty to be a serious attack on the rule of law, Mr. Sanchez is criticized by some of the most moderate barons of his party.
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And if he is reappointed prime minister, he will face a majority that promises to be unstable. In fact, Puigdemont’s party and the Basque nationalists of the PNV, which are very close to the business world, will have particular difficulty voting for the reduction of the working week to 37.5 hours, the flagship measure of the government agreement between the Socialists and their main ally, the far-left Sumar -Platform.