In Spain, representatives rejected in the first reading the draft amnesty bill for Catalan separatists

It is a painful setback for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his government, which was renewed only two and a half months ago. On Tuesday, January 30, representatives rejected the draft amnesty bill for Catalan separatists. Ironically, it was Gantz's independent party, Carles Puigdemont, that voted against the highly controversial bill, considering that it did not guarantee the application of this amnesty to its leader, the main figure in the 2017 Catalan secession attempt.

This rejection in the first reading does not mean abandoning the text, which will have to be returned to the parliamentary committee where it can be amended. But it illustrates the constant pressure to which Gantz is subject to the executive authority, which is deprived of a majority without the support of its seven deputies.

Faced with a result that seemed unexpected until Monday, Justice Minister Felix Bolaños ruled “It is incomprehensible that Gonz would vote against the law he negotiated.”The Catalan party demanded this “Reconsider your position”.

171 votes out of 350

“The humiliation continues, every day (…)“Every sound is an ordeal.”Right-wing opposition leader Alberto Nunez Figo, who again rallied 45,000 supporters in central Madrid on Sunday against this amnesty, quipped that it so deeply divides Spanish society.

Gontz, an unpredictable ally, demanded on Tuesday morning that Mr. Sánchez's Socialists vote on amendments aimed at countering the judicial attack by two judges seeking to block the measure from being applied to Carles Puigdemont. After the Socialists refused, Gontz voted against the bill, receiving only 171 votes in favor while the required majority was 176 votes out of 350.

pardon “It has to be gross (…) And leave no one on the side of the road, no one.”She had warned the head of parliament in Gwent, Miriam Nogueras, before the vote. This amnesty bill was a condition demanded by Catalan separatists in exchange for their basic support for the reappointment of Mr. Sánchez in mid-November for a new term.

Stop legal proceedings

Gantz concretely demanded that the text guarantee the application of this amnesty to the accused persons “terrorism”without possible exception, or ” betrayal “This is not the case with the current project, where Mr. Puigdemont was threatened with indictment for such crimes by two judges. The left accused these two judges of having ulterior political motives for specifically announcing on Monday, the eve of the vote, the extension of their investigation for an additional six months.

If ultimately adopted by Parliament, this text should allow legal proceedings to be halted against hundreds of separatist activists and leaders for their involvement in the secession attempt, including Mr. Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium there aged more than six years in order to escape. These prosecutions.