Forgiveness is not enough for Catalan separatists

Sanchez announced his decision in a televised address. The pardon is conditional. The ban on convicted separatist leaders from holding public office remains in place for the time being, and if anyone commits a serious crime within three to six years in their new freedom, the amnesty can be revoked.

“With this measure, we want to enter into a new era of dialogue and reconciliation, and to put a definitive end to division and confrontation,” said Sanchez, leader of the PSOE.

“new stage”

Spain’s largest opposition party, the conservative Popular Party (PP), is criticizing Sanchez’s decision as a concession to divisive forces.

People’s Party leader Pablo Casado said in a radio interview that he will try to reconsider the decision in the Supreme Court, Madridtidningen writes Country.

Critical voices are also heard from within the Catalan independence movement. Partial pardon is seen as incomplete restoration. A full amnesty is the demand, so that exiled separatist leaders – most famously Carles Puigdemont – can return home without risking imprisonment.

However, there are easy conciliatory signals from the Catalan regional government, led by Pere Aragon, who is seen as a moderate left-wing separatist. His government’s statements on Tuesday were on the subject that the amnesty begins a “new phase of dialogue,” Barcelona newspaper reported. vanguard.

closed position

In the next few weeks, Sanchez is expected to hold his first official meeting with Aragon, who took office a month ago.

Aragon tends to negotiate more than its representative, the more hawkish Kim Tora. Although the Spanish central government’s demand to approve an independent referendum on independence in Catalonia is sure to be repeated.

Sanchez’s government has so far been irreconcilably passive with such a development.

– Catalonia without Spain would not be European, prosperous or pluralistic, says the prime minister.

Spain without Catalonia would not be simply Spain, just as Catalonia would not be without the rest of Spain Catalonia.

soon for free

The nine leaders were sentenced in 2019 to 9-13 years in prison for sedition and misuse of public funds, as they organized elections to secede from Spain. The elections were banned by Spain but led to the region’s unilateral declaration of its short-lived independence from Madrid.

According to sources close to the convicts, their release will start from 12 noon on Wednesday, according to reports Country.

Among Spaniards in general, 53% oppose amnesty for separatist leaders, according to an Ipsos poll, while 68% of Catalans support it.