All posts tagged: Catalonia

Salvini’s last hope rests on building a bridge to Sicily – POLITICO

Salvini’s last hope rests on building a bridge to Sicily – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

Salvini is pushing to launch the project by June, when European elections will be held that could make or break his leadership of the League.  The timing will be critical. As electoral support for the League shrinks, Salvini’s party colleagues are running out of patience. All 15 members of one local party association in Lombardy, a League heartland, resigned in protest last month.  “Salvini singlehandedly rewrote the party’s ideology to be nationalist,” said Daniele Albertazzi, professor of politics at the University of Surrey. “It is as if Catalonia autonomists wished to represent people from Madrid. Activists and voters were OK with this, only as long as he was successful.”  In February the party took just 3.7 percent in regional elections in Sardinia. League voters feel betrayed by the party’s forays in the previous legislature into two governments, which forced them to make compromises — for example supporting onerous pandemic rules.  The doubters have found their voice. One MEP, Gianantonio Da Re, was recently kicked out of the party after calling Salvini a cretin. But other League …

Pedro Sánchez threatens to resign as Spain’s PM – POLITICO

Pedro Sánchez threatens to resign as Spain’s PM – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

The corruption and influence peddling probe, which is being conducted under seal, was initiated following the filing of a lawsuit by Manos Limpias, or “Clean Hands,” a platform with links to ultranationalist groups notorious for filing legal complaints linked to far-right causes. Spanish law permits individual citizens or organizations to file legal complaints even when they have not been directly affected by the alleged criminal act. In 2021, Spain’s National Court found Manos Limpias guilty of using the threat of legal action and smear campaigns to extort banks and companies. Although that conviction was overturned by the country’s Supreme Court earlier this year, the magistrates noted that while the group had not committed a crime, its operations were ethically “reprehensible.” A leaked version of the complaint filed by Manos Limpias published by Spanish daily El Diario appears to consist of a letter from the organization accompanied by press clippings published by several newspapers. The lack of any strong evidence to support the complaint suggests that the preliminary investigation could be concluded without any charges being filed, but …

Puigdemont wants to be president of Catalonia — again – POLITICO

Puigdemont wants to be president of Catalonia — again – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

Puigdemont made his announcement from the French village of Elne, located just 20 kilometers from the Spanish border. Although he is still being pursued by Spanish prosecutors and is currently the subject of a terrorism probe, the separatist leader has expressed confidence that the controversial Catalan amnesty bill passed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government will allow him to return to his native land in time to take office. But the Puigdemont’s victory in the regional elections is anything but assured. The Socialist Party candidate, former Health Minister Salvador Illa, is currently leading in the polls, and it is unclear whether the millions who came out in favor of Puigdemont’s self-determination referendum back in 2017 will be moved to back his bid for higher office. The separatist leader was last a candidate to lead Catalonia in 2021; on that occasion, his Junts party came in at third place. Puigdemont said that he had spent long hours debating whether to run in these elections of next June’s European Parliament vote, which he said was just as …

Relief for Pedro Sánchez as Spanish government’s Catalan amnesty bill clears major hurdle in parliament – POLITICO

Relief for Pedro Sánchez as Spanish government’s Catalan amnesty bill clears major hurdle in parliament – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

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

Spanish lawmakers pass controversial amnesty bill for Catalan separatists

Published by Sam

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 …

Council of Europe adviser backs Spanish amnesty law – POLITICO

Council of Europe adviser backs Spanish amnesty law – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

Spanish lawmakers are struggling to find common ground on the text. Last November, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was able to form a government thanks to the support of former Catalonia president and separatist chief Carles Puigdemont. Puigdemont’s Junts party agreed to back the socialist leader in exchange for the amnesty legislation, which is being discussed at the Spanish parliament. At a crucial vote last month, members of Puigdemont’s party blocked the bill, arguing the legislation didn’t fully protect separatists from prosecution for alleged terrorism-related crimes. Earlier this week, Spain’s Supreme Court opened a terrorism investigation into Puigdemont over protests linked to the region’s failed 2017 independence referendum. The Venice Commission provides legal advice to its 61 member countries on whether their legal and institutional structures are in line “with European standards and international experience in the fields of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.” The Council of Europe, which is not an EU institution, works to promote democracy and human rights. Source link

church reemerges from reservoir as Spain faces droughts

church reemerges from reservoir as Spain faces droughts

Published by Sam

The church of Sant Romà de Sau, the village that was flooded to build a dam in the 1950s.Photograph: Ajit Niranjan/The Guardian” fifu-data-src=”https://i1.wp.com/www.skepticsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/d5227b608754e5d837bc4a0c2c897039.jpeg?ssl=1″ data-src=”https://i1.wp.com/www.skepticsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/d5227b608754e5d837bc4a0c2c897039.jpeg?ssl=1″/> The church of Sant Romà de Sau, the village that was flooded to build a dam in the 1950s.Photograph: Ajit Niranjan/The Guardian Magdalena Coromina tapped the hard ground with her walking stick and looked up at a church that was meant to be underwater. Six decades ago, when engineers had built the reservoir in which she stood, they had flooded the town of Sant Romà de Sau and drowned its buildings. The rains that slaked the region’s thirst had kept the ruins covered. But that world no longer exists. Struck by a drought that has dried the reservoir to 1% of its capacity, the remains of the village have come back into view. Crumbling stone structures now sit on cracked soil among ashen plants. The church, whose spire used to poke above the surface during dry spells, today stands high above the waterline. “It makes me so sad,” said Coromina, an …

Catalan leader chides separatists after Pedro Sanchez’s amnesty bill is blocked – POLITICO

Catalan leader chides separatists after Pedro Sanchez’s amnesty bill is blocked – POLITICO

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“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 …