Carles Puigdemont’s final shot at Catalan independence – POLITICO
The fugitive: Carles Puigdemont’s final shot at Catalan independence – POLITICO Skip to main content Source link
All posts tagged: Catalan
Relief for Pedro Sánchez as Spanish government’s Catalan amnesty bill clears major hurdle in parliament – POLITICO
Several dozen police officers who have been investigated for allegations of using violence on voters during a 2017 referendum could also benefit from the clemency measure. Oriol Junqueras, leader of the pro-independence Catalan Republican Left (ERC), said approval of the amnesty marked “an important day for democracy.” The parliament’s lower house rejected the bill in January, when Puigdemont’s Junts per Catalunya party voted against it, on the grounds that it left him and others vulnerable to prosecution for terrorism, a charge he is being investigated for due to his alleged involvement in protests in Barcelona in 2019. Junts and the government negotiated a revised version of the law in an effort to address those concerns. This time, Junts voted in favor of the bill, along with the Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, his coalition partners Sumar, the ERC, and Basque nationalists. Although the opposition Popular Party (PP) has a majority in the Senate, it cannot block the legislation, which the PP says is unconstitutional and gives Catalan nationalists preferential treatment. It …
Spanish lawmakers pass controversial amnesty bill for Catalan separatists
Spain’s Parliament approved on Thursday a controversial amnesty bill aimed at forgiving crimes — both proven and alleged — committed by Catalan separatists during a chaotic attempt to hold an independence referendum in the region six years ago. Issued on: 14/03/2024 – 14:51 3 min Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has promoted the amnesty as a way to move past the 2017 secession attempt by the then-leaders of Catalonia, a northeastern region centered around Barcelona where many speak the local Catalan language as well as Spanish. However, the bill has also met opposition from millions of Spaniards who believe that the people who provoked one of Spain’s biggest political crises should face charges including embezzlement and promoting public disorder. Sánchez has already pardoned nine jailed Catalan independence leaders, a move that helped heal wounds at little political cost. But the amnesty is proving to be much more divisive. ‘A series of polls show a majority of Spaniards are against this amnesty law’ 02:51 The bill was passed by 178-172 votes in favor in the 350-seat …
Spanish MPs reject amnesty bill for Catalan separatists in blow for PM Sanchez
Spanish lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a deeply divisive Catalan amnesty bill with the hardline separatist party that demanded it voting against it on the grounds it did not go far enough. Issued on: 31/01/2024 – 01:33 2 min The bill will now be sent back to a parliamentary commission in a major setback for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez that highlights the fragility of his parliamentary support. The bill was rejected by 179 votes to 171 in the 350-seat parliament where Sanchez’s left-wing minority government is dependent on a patchwork of support to pass legislation. The law will apply to those wanted by the justice system over the 2017 Catalan independence bid, first and foremost the exiled leader of the hardline separatist JxCat party, Carles Puigdemont. He was Catalan regional leader in 2017 and fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution. Although JxCat had demanded the law in exchange for its parliamentary support to secure Sanchez another term in office, it tipped the balance by voting against the bill on Tuesday after its last-minute amendments were …
Catalan leader chides separatists after Pedro Sanchez’s amnesty bill is blocked – POLITICO
“The latest developments are unfortunate and I call on all actors to work responsibly to make sure this law is approved,” Aragonès said in an interview with POLITICO in Brussels. “But I am confident that this will ultimately end well.” Junts members withdrew their support for the bill shortly before the vote, arguing it didn’t fully protect them — including their de facto leader, former Catalan president and separatist chief Carles Puigdemont — from prosecution for alleged terrorism-related crimes. The bill’s rejection represents a significant blow for Sánchez, who obtained Junts’ crucial support to form a government last November in exchange for moving forward with the amnesty legislation. In the past few weeks, Sánchez accepted modifications to the draft bill to satisfy demands by the separatist lawmakers that their protection from prosecution be ironclad. The text will now return for debate in a parliamentary commission before being voted on again by Spanish lawmakers in a few weeks. Junts is likely to use that time to pressure Sánchez’s minority government, which requires the party’s support to …
Spanish Opposition Protests Catalan a Amnesty Law
Madrid — Spanish opposition parties demonstrated in Madrid on Sunday in a last gasp effort to stop an amnesty for Catalan separatists over their role in a 2007 secession bid. About 45,000 people heeded the call by the Popular Party to gather in the capital’s central Plaza de Espana, according to police estimates. The amnesty bill, which was imposed by Catalan parties as a condition for agreeing to support Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s coalition, will be presented Tuesday to the lower house of Spain’s parliament. Once approved and enacted, which could take several months, the law would block legal action against hundreds of Catalan activists who are being investigated or have been charged for their role in the attempted declaration of an independent Catalan state in 2007. Sunday’s march was attended by PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo and former prime minister Mariano Rajoy, as well as president of the Madrid region Isabel Diaz Ayuso. The crowd carried numerous Spanish and European flags, as well as banners saying “No to amnesty” and “Sanchez traitor”. Silvia Sobral, …
Sánchez avoids triple parliamentary defeat but Catalan ally refuses to back him – POLITICO
MADRID — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez narrowly avoided a humiliating parliamentary defeat on Wednesday, although the refusal of one of his Catalan nationalist allies to support him cast doubt on the stability of the country’s new government. Sánchez, whose Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) formed a governing coalition with the leftist Sumar in November, was seeking to push through Congress a number of measures contained in three separate laws that had already been introduced via decree in December. The legislation, which required parliamentary approval to remain in effect, included the extension of anti-inflationary measures, which were approved by a margin of one vote. A separate piece of legislation, which was also approved, included changes to the management of the judiciary and civil service, which had been required to ensure the release of a €10 billion tranche of EU recovery funds. However, the abstention of the pro-independence Catalan Junts party throughout the session, and the opposition of the far-left Podemos to some proposed economic measures, meant the government lost the third vote, which included an increase …
Pedro Sánchez defends Catalan amnesty law as ‘demonstration of strength’ | Spain
Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has defended the controversial Catalan amnesty law that is set to deliver his socialist party a second term, saying the act of clemency towards hundreds of people involved in the push for regional independence is needed to promote “dialogue, understanding and forgiveness”. Although Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) was narrowly beaten by the conservative People’s party (PP) in July’s inconclusive snap general election, it has managed to succeed where the PP and its allies in the far-right Vox party failed by cobbling together enough parliamentary support to form a government. That support, however, has come at a price. The two main Catalan pro-independence parties – the pragmatic Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and the hardline Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) – made their backing conditional on the granting of an amnesty to those involved in the failed and unilateral bid for independence six years ago. Sánchez and his partners in the leftwing Sumar alliance have agreed to the amnesty in order to secure the key votes of the …
Spain’s acting PM on verge of second term after controversial Catalan amnesty deal – Europe live | Spain
Acting Spanish PM on verge of second term after controversial Catalan amnesty deal Sam Jones Pedro Sánchez is on the verge of winning congressional backing for a second term as Spain’s prime minister after securing the support of Catalan separatist parties by agreeing to a controversial amnesty for hundreds of people involved in the failed push for regional independence six years ago. Wednesday’s investiture debate – which will be followed by a vote on Thursday that the socialist leader already has the numbers to win – is expected to bring an end to months of political deadlock following July’s inconclusive snap general election. Although the conservative People’s party (PP) narrowly defeated Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE), it has proved unable to form a government, even with the backing of the far-right Vox party and other, smaller groupings. The PSOE and its partners in the leftwing Sumar coalition have managed to secure the necessary votes by enlisting the support of Catalan and Basque nationalists and other regional parties. Negotiations, however, have not been cheap or …
Spain: Sánchez set to stay PM after controversial amnesty with Catalan separatists | Spain
Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is on the verge of securing another term in office after his socialist party won the support of Catalan separatists by offering a deeply controversial amnesty for those who took part in the illegal and failed bid for regional independence six years ago. The deal between the Spanish Socialist Workers party (PSOE) and the centre-right Junts (Together) comes after a week of tense negotiations and amid widespread concerns over the amnesty, which have led to street protests, dire warnings from conservative judges and questions from Brussels. Speaking shortly after the agreement was announced, the PSOE’s organisational secretary, Santos Cerdán, said the negotiations had yielded “a historic opportunity to resolve a conflict that could – and should – only be resolved politically”. He said the proposed amnesty bill would now be put before parliament, adding that a new, socialist-led government would offer a progressive alternative to an alliance between the conservative People’s party (PP) and the far-right Vox party. The deal follows months of uncertainty caused by an inconclusive snap …