MPs will have two additional weeks to try to agree on a version of the amnesty law, in order to resolve the question of people prosecuted or convicted for the attempted secession of Catalonia in 2017.
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The Spanish Congress of Deputies decided, Tuesday February 20, to give two more weeks, until March 7, to the Socialist Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the Catalan separatists of Carles Puigdemont to reach an agreement on the text of an amnesty law. This must benefit all those convicted or prosecuted for their role in the abortive secession attempt of Catalonia in 2017.
Pedro Sanchez had committed to having such a measure voted on by Parliament, in order to obtain the support of the seven deputies of Junts per Catalunya (JxCat), the party of Carles Puigdemont, for his reappointment in November as head of government. The Catalan leader, who led this unilateral attempt at independence, fled Spain to escape Spanish justice and has since lived in exile in Belgium. In the absence of an amnesty, he would be immediately arrested if returned to Spain.
The question divides the political class
A first bill submitted by the socialists was rejected on January 30 by the deputies due to the vote against representatives of JxCat, who considered that the text did not go far enough and risked not benefiting all people concerned, starting with Carles Puigdemont. The failure of this vote resulted in the text being sent back to the Congressional Justice Committee, which had fifteen days to come up with a new bill, i.e. until February 21. But the negotiations between the Socialist Party and JxCat have still not been successful.
JxCat demands that the text rejected last month be modified to ensure that the amnesty also applies to crimes of terrorism and treason, which could concern Carles Puigdemont if certain magistrates win their case. But such a request poses numerous legal problems, with socialists fearing that the text would be declared unconstitutional. The two parties therefore have two weeks to find the compromise which is elusive for the moment.
Since the legislative elections of July 23, this question of granting an amnesty to Catalan separatists has dominated Spanish political life. The right and the far right reject this measure and accuse Pedro Sánchez of having betrayed his principles to stay in power, especially since he had not hidden before the elections that he was opposed to an amnesty for Catalan separatists.
