Spanish parliament ratifies problematic Catalan amnesty law
The Spanish parliament finally approved a controversial amnesty law on Thursday, ending legal action against hundreds of Catalan separatists involved in the failed 2017 secession effort.
The left-wing ruling coalition, two Catalan parties, and other smaller parties supported the motion in spite of the opposition from the conservative Popular Party (PP) and right-wing Vox.
The bill almost passed with 177 votes in favor and 172 against.
The bill, which is anticipated to nullify the legal records of hundreds of officials and activists connected to Catalonia’s independence campaign since 2011, would go into force two months after it is published in the official gazette.
The lower house of the Spanish parliament passed the bill in March, granting amnesty to over 300 nationalists, including former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont.
The lower chamber of parliament had already rejected the bill in January due to Puigdemont’s Junts party’s opposition, which was based on worries about potential indictments for acts related to terrorism. After negotiations, a revised version of the bill was agreed upon to address these concerns.
Since becoming government in 2018, Sánchez has worked to reduce tensions in the northeast by stating that amnesty is the only way to accomplish deescalation.
About The Author
