Spain’s parliament approves amnesty for separatists

Spain’s House of Representatives has passed an amnesty law for Catalan separatists. Prime Minister Sánchez had promised the amnesty in order to secure the separatists’ votes for his re-election last year.

The Spanish lower house has approved the draft of the controversial amnesty law for Catalan separatists at the second attempt. It was approved with 178 votes from the minority government and also from the two Catalan separatist parties ERC and Junts, despite political turmoil in Catalonia.

First bill failed in January

The background is the failed attempts to secede Catalonia from Spain in 2017. The amnesty is intended to benefit in particular hundreds of activists who were persecuted by the Spanish justice system after the failed secession. Former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont could also benefit from the law. After eight years in exile in Belgium, he could return to Spain unpunished.

A first draft failed in parliament at the end of January. At this point, not only the conservative and right-wing populist opposition had voted against it, but also the Catalan party Junts of the former regional government leader Carles Puigdemont.

Sánchez needed votes to be re-elected

The Junts were concerned that the amnesty would not protect all separatists being prosecuted by the judiciary from punishment. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s socialist ruling party PSOE subsequently agreed to Junts’ requests for changes, thus enabling the vote to be successful on the second attempt.

This was preceded by the fact that Prime Minister Sánchez had promised amnesty to the separatists in order to secure their votes for his re-election in parliament last autumn. Sánchez wants to prevent Catalonia’s secession through the law by defusing the conflict through dialogue and concessions.

Months of protests leading up to it

The amnesty law, which was debated for months before the vote, is dividing Spanish society and sparking violent protests. Just last week, thousands of people protested in Madrid. The demonstrators demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and chanted, among other things, “Sánchez traitor” and “Sánchez in prison.”

According to the regulations, the draft will go to the Spanish Senate for discussions. The majority there is the opposition, which is against the amnesty. Although it can block the draft for a maximum of two months, it cannot prevent it. The House of Commons then votes again. This means that the amnesty could come into force at the end of May – unless the judiciary stops parts of it.