Spanish Parliament rejects amnesty bill for Catalans
A bill proposing amnesty for politicians and civil society members in Spain's Catalonia region who were convicted or are facing ongoing legal proceedings due to pro-independence initiatives has been rejected in its first parliamentary vote.
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Although the amnesty condition, which the minority left-wing coalition government agreed to in order to secure external support for a vote of confidence last November, was quickly brought to Parliament, an agreement could not be reached between the parties for its approval.
The bill, presented under the title "Amnesty for institutional, political, and social normalization in Catalonia," was rejected in the vote with 179 votes against and 171 in favor, and was sent back to the Justice Committee for necessary amendments.
The biggest issue in the bill's rejection was the demand by the "Together for Catalonia" (Junts) party for a full guarantee that former Catalan regional government president and Junts leader Carles Puigdemont, who fled the Spanish judiciary and lives in Brussels as a Member of the European Parliament, would not be prosecuted.
The Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), the senior partner in the coalition, did not accept Junts' demands.
RIGHT-WING PARTIES VIEW IT AS TREASON
The PSOE's inclusion of all types of crimes in the amnesty, including those classified as terrorism or treason, failed to convince Junts.
The bill presented to Parliament by the PSOE, which was rejected, envisioned the amnesty of approximately 400 separatist Catalan politicians, civil society representatives, and members of radical groups who disrupted public order and participated in violent protests, all of whom were convicted or are facing ongoing legal proceedings due to pro-independence initiatives in Catalonia since January 1, 2012, including the illegal public vote on November 9, 2014, and the referendum process on October 1, 2017.
While the government presents the amnesty initiative as "an important step for coexistence in Catalonia and for Spanish democracy," right-wing opposition parties view it as "treason," "a humiliation of Spanish democracy and the rule of law," and "a violation of the principle of equality."
Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the main opposition right-wing People's Party (PP), which holds a majority in the Senate, argued in his speech in Parliament that Junts has "taken Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hostage"—who needs their support to remain in power—but that "the Spanish people will not pay the ransom."
Despite everything, the processes to be carried out in the Parliament and Senate regarding the enactment of the bill are expected to be lengthy and are not expected to be completed before May.