Spain approved the pardons of the supporters of independence …

President Pedro Sanchez officially announced the grace of the Spanish government to the nine Catalan independence leaders sentenced to prison for the 2017 secession attempt. “It is the best decision for Catalonia and Spain, and the most in line with the spirit of harmony and coexistence of the Constitution”, said the socialist leader.

The measure that had been anticipated on Monday by Sánchez during a visit to the city of Barcelona was taken after the issue was discussed during the Council of Ministers which met this morning at the seat of the Spanish government. Rejected by the opposition of the right and the far right, pardons are partial since they commute the prison sentences but maintain the disqualification and they are conditioned that the beneficiaries do not commit a serious offense for a period of three to six years.

The measure, Sánchez said, “does not require beneficiaries to change their mind “, because “they were not sanctioned for their ideas but for their acts contrary to democratic legality”. In a brief statement to the press and without asking questions, the president said: “Spanish society wants a European Catalonia, prosperous, plural, united and endowed with a high degree of autonomy. Catalonia without Spain would be neither European, nor prosperous, nor plural. It is our conviction. “

“We want to open a stage of dialogue”

Sánchez has repeatedly called for “concord” policy between the central and regional governments of a country crossed by secessionist attempts like Catalonia. The president also left a clear message to the opposition, who harshly criticized the forgiveness of the Catalan leaders. “We want to open a new stage of dialogue, of reunion, and to end once and for all the division and the confrontation. Democracy is demonstrating its greatness and now is the right time for those who question it to demonstrate theirs.“Sanchez shot.

The Spanish right accuses Sánchez of seeking to stay in power because his minority government needs the support of the separatists in Congress. Pablo Casado, leader of the main opposition party, the People’s Party (PP), announced that his political force appeal for pardons to the Supreme Court, which has already manifested itself against them. Leaders of the liberal Citizens and far-right Vox parties have also announced their intention to appeal against the government’s decision.

Catalan government calls for amnesty

The pardons do not fully satisfy the separatists in power in Catalonia either, since they are asking for an amnesty, which would imply erasing the crimes committed and organizing a self-determination referendum, which Madrid rejects. “It’s time to end the repression and organize an approved referendum that enjoys international backing, as desired by a large majority of the Catalan population ”, declared the Catalan president on Tuesday, Father Aragonès.

The nine beneficiaries of the pardon are the former members of the Catalan government Oriol Junqueras, Joaquim Forn, Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Dolors Bassa and Raúl Romeva, the former president of the Catalan Parliament Carme Forcadell and the leaders of two independence associations, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart. The 7.7 million inhabitants of Catalonia remain deeply divided on the question of independence.

The 2017 secession attempt was one of the worst political crises in Spain since the end of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in 1975, and it still conditions national politics. Despite the ban on justice, the Catalan government then chaired by Puigdemont organized a self-determination referendum on October 1, 2017, punctuated by scenes of police brutally beating voters.

On the 27th of this month, the Catalan Parliament unilaterally declared independence, to which the then Spanish government of PP President Mariano Rajoy responded by sacking the Catalan executive and placing the region under trusteeship.. Prosecuted by justice, the secessionist leaders fled Spain, like Puigdemont, or were arrested, like Junqueras, then Catalan vice-president and current leader of the ERC.

In a context where Spain is breathing due to the drop in infections due to the advance of anticovid vaccination and with the next national electoral meeting in two years, Sánchez intends to resume the dialogue table with the Catalan executive soon, paralyzed in February 2020 by the pandemic, to reconcile the positions. The Spanish government has already declared itself open to a vote in Catalonia but only to decide on greater autonomy for the region, which already enjoys broad powers in matters of health, education and security.