Spain’s centre-right forces unite to block amnesty law

Spain’s main centre-right opposition party, the Partido Popular (EPP), and the Societat Civil Catalana joined forces to oppose the future amnesty law for those involved in the 2017 secessionist attempt, which Catalan separatists demand in exchange for their support for Socialist candidate Pedro Sanchez in forming a coalition.

PP’s Secretary General, Cuca Gamarra, told. Antena3, in an interview aired Wednesday that the conservative formation is organising a demonstration during the weekend of 23 and 24 September, on the eve of the investiture debate of the party’s leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.

“A big event in Madrid (…) so that (the whole) society can participate”, Gamarra stated in the interview.

The spokesman of the Socialist Party (PSOE/S&D) in parliament, Patxi López, fiercely criticised the move on Wednesday and claimed that the PP wants to confront and polarise the country’s public opinion, El País reported.

The PP leader won 137 seats in the snap general election on 23 July, compared to 122 for the PSOE, whose leader and acting prime minister candidate is seeking crucial political support from Catalan separatist parties for a new term in office.

As the election winner, Feijóo has to gather a majority of 176 deputies to forge a government by 27 September. So far, he has 174 MPs behind him.

The task, as Spain’s King Felipe VI had requested from him, is harsh.

He has so far failed to win any further support for this “doomed to fail” investiture, as the press, several political analysts and the political left camp described it.

United front of constitutional forces

The protest will be preceded by another one, also against a hypothetical amnesty law, called for 8 October in Barcelona by the Societat Civil Catalana (SCC), a citizens’ initiative against the separatist movement in Catalonia, which will be attended by the president of the Comunidad de Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso (PP), a political rival of Feijóo’s for the leadership of the PP.

Meanwhile, the far-right VOX party, Spain’s third political force, will participate in the Barcelona demonstration, party sources confirmed on Wednesday.

Last week, Feijóo announced that his party was prepared to go as far as Spain’s High Court to try to stop an amnesty law.

Since the general elections of 23 July, the Socialist Party and its probable future ally in a progressive future coalition, the left-wing platform Sumar, have been discreetly exploring possible ways, within the framework of the Spanish Constitution, to grant an amnesty (or special pardon) for those involved in the October 2017 events in Catalonia.

The Catalan parliament unilaterally declared “independence” in 2017 following a referendum the same year, which was declared illegal by Spain’s Constitutional Court.

Since July, there has been an intense debate among legal experts on whether an amnesty law could fit into the Spanish Constitution (of 1978) and on the concept of “amnesty”.

One group of experts believes it is not feasible, while others open the door to the possibility. In any case, most legal experts reject that a hypothetical new amnesty law could be comparable to the Amnesty Law passed in Spain on 15 October 1977.

Amnesty, not “oblivion”

The law passed during Spain’s transition to democracy included an amnesty for political prisoners under Francisco Franco’s dictatorship and a wide range of crimes that could be pardoned, including political acts, rebellion and sedition – two particularly controversial points in the current “Catalonia debate”.

It also granted amnesty to authorities, officials and law enforcement officers who had committed crimes while pursuing political acts or had violated “the rights of individuals”, among other offences.

Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, self-exiled in Belgium since 2017, of centre-liberal Junts Per Catalunya (JXCat), set out his red lines last week to start negotiating with Sánchez and pave the way for a new term in office of the socialist candidate.

An amnesty law, recognition and respect for the “democratic legitimacy” of Catalonia’s independence movement and the creation of a mechanism to verify future political agreements with Madrid were among his main preconditions, which some in the right-wing camp have described as “political blackmail” to Spain’s central State.

(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.Euractiv.es)