Spain has finally passed the controversial amnesty law for Catalan independence supporters. The parliament in Madrid approved the proposal on Thursday with 177 votes in favor and 172 against.
The amnesty is intended in favor of around 400 Catalan separatists who were prosecuted by the Spanish legal system after a failed secession attempt in 2017. Among them is former regional president Carles Puigdemont, who now wants to return from exile.
Sánchez concession
The amnesty law was a concession by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to pro-independence groups, which are represented by two parties in parliament in Madrid.
After last year’s elections, Sánchez depended on their support to achieve a government majority. The amnesty plans led to months of protests from the conservative opposition.
The law was passed in the House of Representatives in March. But because the Senate rejected the proposal in mid-May, the bill went back to the House of Representatives, which approved the bill with a majority of just two votes.
Heated debate
In addition to the Socialists and the Catalans, the Basque nationalists and the left, represented in Sánchez’s government, also agreed after a heated debate of about two hours.
Source: Krone
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