Spain Passes Amnesty Bill for Catalan Separatists

Facts

• On Thursday, the Spanish parliament passed legislation allowing amnesty for hundreds of Catalan secessionists who took part in the unsuccessful 2017 bid for independence. The bill passed the Spanish parliament in a 177 to 172 vote.¹
• The conservative Popular Party (PP) and right-wing Vox opposed the measure, while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's left-wing government coalition, two Catalan parties, and several smaller parties supported it.²
• Sanchez presented the amnesty measure in 2023 to garner the support of two Catalan separatist parties. The parties, Junts and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, were courted in order to help Sanchez remain in office following an inconclusive election.³
• Several researchers question the amnesty law's constitutionality, as it may amount to unequal treatment of citizens. Sanchez has promoted amnesty as a pathway to help resolve the longstanding conflict in Catalonia.⁴
• The amnesty bill has been in Parliament for six months, with the opposition-controlled Senate delaying the measure during a preliminary vote in March. Legal appeals are expected, but they are unlikely to stop it from becoming law.⁵
• This amnesty covers charges ranging from Nov. 2011 to Nov. 2023. The government estimates that amnesty will cover several hundred individuals, whereas separatists assert thousands will be affected.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²POLITICO, ³Voice of America, ⁴PBS NewsHour, ⁵BBC News and ⁶Associated Press.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Le Monde.fr. The passage of the amnesty law is a victory for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his left-wing coalition, which will grant amnesty to hundreds of Catalan separatists who were involved in the failed 2017 secession bid. It also means that Sanchez delivered on a promise to the pro-Catalan parties, whose support he needed to remain in power in November of last year. The legislation will take a few months to go into effect, but the amnesty law is popular in Catalonia and could help Sanchez form a regional government there.
• Narrative B, as provided by Dw.Com. The opposition views Prime Minister Sanchez's amnesty as illegitimate and unconstitutional. The parliament should never have adopted it. We should prosecute individuals who have committed the act of secession to the fullest extent of the law and give them appropriate punishment for their unlawful actions. The amnesty not only creates inequality among Spanish citizens by favoring some over others, but it also involves an exchange of power for privileges and impunity. That's not acceptable.

Predictions