An absolute majority obtained for three votes which puts an end to a major political crisis. Pedro Sanchez was reappointed Thursday by Parliament at the head of Spain, a country deeply divided in the face of the Prime Minister’s decision to grant an amnesty law to Catalan separatists, in exchange for their support.
In power since 2018, the socialist politician received 179 votes from deputies. This vote of confidence will make it possible to overcome the blockage in political life in progress since the legislative elections of July 23. Coming second in the July election, behind his conservative rival Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the Prime Minister has had to negotiate in all directions in recent weeks the support for his renewal from several regionalist groups, whose votes are crucial in a very fragmented Parliament.
An amnesty for separatists that is making people talk
In particular, he had to convince the party of Catalan separatist Carles Puigdemont, leader of the attempted secession of Catalonia in 2017, who fled to Belgium six years ago to escape legal proceedings launched against him. Agreeing, after intense negotiations, to support Pedro Sanchez, the Catalan leader obtained, in exchange for the votes of the seven deputies of his party, the upcoming adoption of an amnesty law for hundreds of separatists pursued by the justice. A measure that will allow him to return to Spain.
The Popular Party (PP) of Alberto Núñez Feijóo accuses the socialist of having conceded with the sole aim of remaining in power and raises the risk that Spain will find itself in the sights of the EU, like of Hungary or Poland, due to the attack on the rule of law that this measure constitutes, according to him.
Rejected, according to several polls, by a majority of Spaniards, this amnesty brought hundreds of thousands of people into the streets on Sunday, at the call of the PP. A new mobilization is planned for Saturday in Madrid.