By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
The Spanish parliament has enacted a contentious amnesty law that paves the way for pardoning hundreds of individuals facing prosecution for their involvement in Catalonia's failed bid for independence. This initiative, introduced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialist Party, was aimed at securing support from Catalan separatist parties following inconclusive elections.
The government has presented the bill as a means to move beyond the 2017 crisis, when Catalan leaders attempted secession through a referendum declared illegal by Spain’s Constitutional Court, followed by a unilateral declaration of independence. The bill passed with 177 votes in favor and 172 against, with crucial backing from two Catalan separatist parties, Junts and Esquerra Republicana.
Following the vote, Sánchez emphasized the importance of forgiveness over resentment in politics. The bill has sparked significant backlash from Spain’s right wing factions, triggering large scale protests. The main opposition, the conservative Popular Party, and the far right Vox party voted against the measure. Isabel Diaz Ayuso, President of the Madrid regional government and a Popular Party member, announced plans to challenge the law in Spain’s Constitutional Court.
The amnesty law will benefit 309 individuals facing prosecution for their roles in the Catalan independence effort, including political leaders and 73 police officers charged for their actions during the crisis. It also allows exiled independence leader Carles Puigdemont to return to Spain without facing judicial charges, and lifts the ban on Oriol Junqueras, of Esquerra Republicana, from holding public office.
Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium after the failed 2017 bid, participated in negotiations last November to secure his party’s votes for Sánchez’s investiture. Junqueras, who was arrested in November 2017 and sentenced to 13 years in prison, was pardoned in 2021 by Sánchez's government, along with other jailed independence leaders. Both Catalan separatist parties played pivotal roles in securing Sánchez’s position last November.
Sánchez and Socialist leaders argue that the amnesty law will help resolve the conflict in the deeply divided Catalan society and provide a path forward for the affluent northeastern region. However, conservative leaders Alberto Nuñez Feijoo of the Popular Party and Santiago Abascal of Vox criticized the law as “political corruption,” alleging it was a concession by Sánchez to retain power.
The legislation will take effect upon its publication in the Official State Bulletin in the coming days, according to Minister of Justice Felix Bolaños. Responding to the anticipated appeal, Bolaños affirmed that Spain's legal system guarantees the right to challenge laws.