Catalan Separatists Receive Amnesty After Parliament Approval: Spain’s Congress has passed a contentious Catalan amnesty law, marking the final step before its implementation. This law aims to withdraw pending legal actions against Catalan nationalists involved in separatist activities, including the 2017 independence referendum and failed secession attempt.

Close Vote and Parliamentary Journey

The law narrowly passed with 177 votes in favor and 172 against. It had spent six months in parliament after being introduced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party (PSOE). Following a preliminary congressional vote in March, the bill faced delays in the opposition-controlled Senate but ultimately progressed.

Implementation and Potential Challenges 

nce published in the official gazette, judges will have two months to apply the law. Although legal appeals are anticipated, they are not expected to obstruct its enforcement. The amnesty is expected to benefit nearly 400 Catalan nationalists facing legal actions since November 2011. This includes those involved in the 2017 illegal independence referendum and police officers prosecuted for attacking voters during the event.

High-Profile Beneficiary: Carles Puigdemont

Carles Puigdemont, the former president of Catalonia who led the 2017 secession bid and subsequently went into self-exile in Belgium, stands as the most notable beneficiary. He and other pro-independence politicians who fled the country will benefit from the amnesty. Puigdemont’s party, Together for Catalonia (JxCat), along with the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), demanded the amnesty in exchange for their support of Sánchez’s coalition government.

Political Reactions and Future Implications

Puigdemont has expressed intentions to return to Spain for an investiture vote in the regional parliament, likely in June. He recently ran as the lead candidate for JxCat in a Catalan election, finishing second to the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC). Despite his ambitions, he currently lacks sufficient support to form a government.

“This is not clemency, it is necessary redress. Today we have won a battle, but the conflict isn’t over,” stated Miriam Nogueras of the JxCat party.

The PSOE and its coalition partner, Sumar, supported the law along with JxCat, ERC, the pro-independence Basque EH Bildu coalition, the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG), and the far-left Podemos. Opposition came from the conservative People’s Party (PP), the far-right Vox, and conservatives from Navarre and the Canary Islands.

In a heated parliamentary session, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo condemned the amnesty as “political corruption,” arguing it offers preferential treatment to Catalans and was introduced by Sánchez to secure his political survival. Artemi Rallo of the PSOE countered, stating that the law, along with a 2022 government pardon of nine jailed independence leaders, had “normalized politics in Catalonia.”

About Catalan Amnesty Law: 

The Catalan Amnesty Law is a legislative measure approved by Spain's Congress aimed at withdrawing pending legal actions against Catalan nationalists involved in separatist activities. These activities include the 2017 independence referendum and the subsequent failed bid for independence. The law seeks to offer amnesty to individuals who have been facing prosecution for their roles in these events, which were deemed illegal by the Spanish government. This amnesty is expected to benefit nearly 400 people, including high-profile figures like Carles Puigdemont, the former president of Catalonia. The law has sparked significant political debate, with supporters viewing it as a necessary step for reconciliation and normalization of politics in Catalonia, while opponents criticize it as a concession to separatists and a means for political gain by the ruling party.

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